Miami Beach, FL Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- 3+ rental units on one lot
- License basis
- Per building/structure, not per lot
- Fee basis
- Total room count, excl. kitchens/baths
- Condo/co-op exemption
- Individual owners renting their own unit
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 95-2995, 6-7-95
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine / 60 days (Sec. 1-14)
Summary
Anyone renting out three or more units on a single lot in Miami Beach must obtain a residential landlord license under City Code Sec. 18-536 before leasing, with a separate license required for every building on the lot that has three or more units. The license fee is set by the total room count, excluding kitchens and bathrooms.
Sec. 18-536. - License required; fee. All persons engaged in the business of renting three or more units within a single lot for residential purposes shall obtain a license pursuant to this division. A separate license must be obtained for each building or structure containing three or more units located within the lot. The fee shall be determined by the total number of rooms within the structure and/or lot, excluding the kitchens and bathrooms. Sec. 18-537. - Exemptions. All condominiums and co-ops registered with the state shall be exempt from this licensing requirement upon presentation of the condominium documents unless a total of three or more units are leased or rented. When three or more units are being leased or rented, the condominium or co-op association shall obtain the required license.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98 | Resiliency Code (Current Land Development Regulations): Publication | Ordinance 89-2665 (Previous Land Development Regulations): Publication).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 18-536, part of Chapter 18's Division 3 on Residential Landlords, requires "all persons engaged in the business of renting three or more units within a single lot for residential purposes" to hold a license, and a lot with multiple qualifying buildings needs one license per building or structure, not one blanket license for the whole property. The fee schedule ties the cost to "the total number of rooms within the structure and/or lot," specifically excluding kitchens and bathrooms from the room count, so the fee scales with bedroom and living-space count rather than unit count alone.
Sec. " That exemption disappears the moment the association itself, rather than individual unit owners, is leasing or renting three or more units, at which point "the condominium or co-op association shall obtain the required license" just like any other multi-unit landlord. Both sections trace to Ord. No. 95-2995, adopted June 7, 1995, and sit within the same licensing framework the city uses for business tax receipts under Chapter 18.
Violations & Fines
Renting three or more units without the required license, or operating without a separate license for each qualifying building on the lot, is a code violation. Because Chapter 18's residential landlord division sets no license-specific fine, it defaults to the citywide general penalty in Sec. 1-14: a fine of up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, with each day of unlicensed operation counted as a new offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to rent out my Miami Beach condo?
How many units trigger the residential landlord license?
How is the license fee calculated?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami Beach
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