Gulfport, FL Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum hot water temp
- 120°F
- Heating requirement
- 70°F at 35°F outside
- Window area minimum
- 10% of room floor area
- Openable window share
- 45% of window area
- First-occupant floor area
- 150 sq ft minimum
- Enforcement body
- Minimum Housing Standards and Appeals Board
Summary
Chapter 23 requires every Gulfport dwelling unit to have a kitchen sink, tub or shower and water closet, hot water at 120 degrees or hotter, working heat capable of hitting 70 degrees, and minimum window and floor-area sizes before it may be occupied.
Every dwelling unit shall have connected to the kitchen sink, lavatory, and tub or shower, an adequate supply of both cold and hot water. All water shall be supplied through an approved pipe distribution system connected to a potable water supply. ... All hot water heating appliances shall be installed according to the plumbing code adopted by the applicable governing body and shall be capable of supplying a continuous source of hot water, on demand, to all the required fixtures at a temperature of not less than 120° Fahrenheit.
Full Breakdown
Section 23-54 bars anyone from occupying or renting a vacant dwelling unit that does not comply with Chapter 23 and lacks a valid certificate of occupancy. Section 23-55 sets the plumbing floor: every unit needs a connection to potable water and public or approved sewer, plus a kitchen sink, lavatory, tub or shower and water closet in good working order, located within the unit and screened for privacy, with hot water supplied continuously at not less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Section 23-56 sets light and ventilation minimums: every habitable room needs a window or skylight equal to at least 10 percent of the room's floor area (15 percent for skylights), of which at least 45 percent must be openable, plus at least one electrical receptacle for every 20 linear feet of wall.
Section 23-58 requires permanent heating equipment able to maintain 70 degrees Fahrenheit three feet above the floor when it is 35 degrees outside, covering at least two-thirds of the habitable rooms, for any unit rented by year, month, week or day. Section 23-59 sets space minimums: 150 square feet of habitable floor area for the first occupant, 100 more for each of the next three occupants, and 75 more for each additional occupant, with sleeping rooms needing at least 70 square feet for one occupant. Section 23-60 requires exterior walls, roofs, floors, windows, doors, stairs and porches to stay weathertight, rodent-proof and in sound repair.
Violations & Fines
Renting or occupying a dwelling unit that fails these standards, or lacks a valid certificate of occupancy, violates Section 23-54 and the applicable equipment sections (23-55 through 23-60); enforcement runs through the Minimum Housing Standards and Appeals Board created in Article I, Division 2 of Chapter 23. Violations are punishable under the Section 1-6 general penalty: a fine up to $500, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, with each day the condition continues charged as a separate offense, and any noncompliant condition may also be treated as an abatable public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum hot water temperature a Gulfport landlord must provide?
Does a Gulfport rental have to have working heat?
How much living space does Gulfport require for a single occupant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
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How other cities in Pinellas County handle repairs & habitability.