Bonita Springs, FL Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before leasing, subleasing or renting any dwelling unit
- Permit term
- Three years from application submittal
- Inspection
- Mandatory every three years, unless waived for good cause
- Reinspection fee
- $50.00 per reinspection
- Contact person
- Age 18 or older, reachable 24 hours a day
- Notice to apply
- 30 days after city notice
Summary
In the City of Bonita Springs, Lee County, Florida, every owner who rents a dwelling and is not exempt under § 12-107 must get a rental permit from the city manager or designee before the tenant moves in. The permit lasts three years, requires a per-unit fee and a mandatory inspection every three years, and can be lost for violations.
(a)Every owner of a property in the city who is otherwise not exempt in section 12-107 and rents a dwelling, regardless of the term of the lease being transient (short term under six months) or a long-term rental, is required to get a rental permit from the city manager or designee prior to leasing ... Once issued, such permit shall be valid for a three-year period commencing on the date of application submittal, and shall not be revoked so long as:(1)A permit fee determined on a per-rental-unit basis, the amount of which is on file in the city clerk's office is paid.(2)The applicant and the applicant's property is not in violation of this article.(3)The mandatory inspection (every three years) has been conducted by code enforcement or a city-outsourced qualified inspector for the rental unit prior to issuance or renewal of the permit for that rental unit, unless waived by the city manager or designee upon good cause that the applicant (same owner only) has not been in violation of this article for that rental unit during the three-year period.(4)The applicant provided the correct street address for all parcels or property covered by this article.
Full Breakdown
Article IV of Chapter 12 is the Bonita Springs Rental Permit Ordinance (§ 12-106). Its stated purpose in § 12-107 is to protect the comfort, health, repose, safety and general welfare of residents by setting minimum permitting requirements for renting single-family, duplex and multifamily dwelling units. Section 12-108 requires the permit for long-term and transient leases alike, and one permit from any one of multiple owners is enough. The application is in writing on a city form. A permit runs three years from the date of application submittal and stays in force while the per-unit fee on file in the city clerk's office is paid, the property is not in violation, the inspection required every three years has been done by code enforcement or a city-outsourced qualified inspector, and the correct street address is given for every parcel. The city manager or designee can waive the inspection for the same owner on good cause if there was no violation during the three-year period.
The article does not apply to properties with more than six dwelling units that state law requires to have a property manager, including those under F.S. chs. 718, 719 and 720, to parsonages, to apartment complexes with on-site management open during regular operating hours, or to state regulated and sanctioned housing. The city manager can also exempt lodging establishments where tourist development tax is collected under F.S. § 125.0104 and caretaker or house sitter arrangements with no rent.
Section 12-109 adds conditions: an owner living outside the Twentieth Judicial District (Charlotte, Lee, Collier, Glades and Hendry Counties) must appoint a local agent in Lee or Collier County, and every permit needs a contact person aged 18 or older reachable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The permittee keeps a tenant list and hands a city neighborhood pamphlet to at least one tenant before signing a lease. Rental units where driveways were built after October 1, 2005 must meet the parking rules of § 34-170 and file a parking plan before a permit issues (§ 34-171). Reinspection of a noncompliant unit costs $50.00 each under § 12-110.
Violations & Fines
If the city has reasonable cause to believe a unit is rented without a permit, the owner gets notice and 30 days to apply or show none is required, and failure exposes the owner to a hearing examiner proceeding under § 12-108(b). Section 12-112 allows denial or revocation for misrepresentation, occupancy beyond a single family, or any other violation of the article, and a revoked owner cannot get another permit for any premises for six months. Hearing examiner decisions can be appealed to the county court.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a long-term landlord in Bonita Springs need the rental permit?
How long does the permit last and what does it cost?
What if the owner lives outside Florida's Twentieth Judicial District?
Does the city inspect the rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bonita Springs
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Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Lee County handle rental registration.