Fort Myers, FL Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection cycle
- At least once every 3 years
- City-inspection notice
- 3 business days minimum
- Standards enforced
- FBC, Fire Code, IPMC
- Independent-inspector exemption
- 36 months from certification
- Multi-unit sampling (21-50 units)
- 50% of units inspected
Summary
Fort Myers requires residential rental dwellings to pass periodic inspections for Florida Building Code, Fire Prevention Code and International Property Maintenance Code compliance.
Inspections of residential rental dwelling units subject to this section shall be conducted by the property owner, property management company, or by city staff or contractor at the property owner's expense, to ensure that such rental dwelling units comply with the provisions of the Florida Building Code and Florida Fire Prevention Code. Properties that do not meet the definition of public lodging establishments as defined in Section 509.013, Florida Statutes, shall also be subject to inspection for compliance with the International Property Maintenance Code. Inspections conducted by the city shall be with the express consent of the tenant and/or owner.
Prior to an inspection of a residential rental dwelling unit by the city, the city shall provide the property owner or local agent at least three business days written notice, unless emergency circumstances warrant immediate inspection of the unit(s) for life safety reasons. Notice may be delivered in person, by electronic mail or by first class U.S. mail. The notice shall advise that the city desires to undertake an inspection of a particular property and unit or units on a certain date and time and that objections may be filed with the city prior to the intended date for inspection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Under Code of Ordinances Article XI, rental dwelling units in Fort Myers must be inspected by the owner, a management company, or city staff/contractor at the owner's expense. Non-hotel rentals are checked against the International Property Maintenance Code in addition to the Florida Building and Fire Prevention Codes. The city aims to inspect each rental building or unit at least once every three years, gives at least three business days' notice before a city inspection (absent a life-safety emergency), and can expand sampling to 100% of units in a development if an inspector finds a major, life-safety or habitability violation. Owners may instead hire an independent inspector to certify compliance, which exempts the property from a periodic inspection for 36 months. Hotels, motels, resort condos, transient apartments, rooming houses, resort dwellings, vacation rentals and bed-and-breakfast inns (as defined by Fla. Stat. § 509.242) are excluded from this article.
Violations & Fines
Failure to keep a rental dwelling in compliance triggers code enforcement proceedings and penalties under Article V, Code Enforcement, in addition to any other applicable code provision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the city need consent to inspect a Fort Myers rental?
Are Fort Myers vacation rentals covered by this inspection rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Myers
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Myers to another location·View the Florida rental property rules overview
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle repairs & habitability.