Bradenton, FL Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

Bradenton's vacation rental program was adopted by the City Council as Ord. No. 3093 on February 9, 2022 and amended by Ord. No. 4011 on July 26, 2023. It sits in Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances and applies inside the City of Bradenton only, not in Bradenton Beach, Anna Maria or unincorporated Manatee County. Section 22-51 defines "owner occupied" as a vacation rental that is the primary and permanent residence of the owner of the property. The operative use of owner presence is in § 22-64(b): the maximum occupancy restriction does not apply when the property is occupied by the vacation rental owner.

That cap is set in § 22-64(a) as the lesser of two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons, one person per 150 square feet of temperature-controlled living space within the vacation rental, or twelve persons. The certificate of registration states the maximum occupancy for each property (§ 22-53(c)). When the property is not occupied by the owner, the cap in subsection (a) governs.

The article does not require an owner to live at the rental or stay on site during a rental. It requires a designated responsible party, named on the registration form (§ 22-52(b)(4)), and the owner can appoint himself or herself. That person must be reachable by telephone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and must come to the vacation rental within one hour after notice from an occupant, the owner or the city (§ 22-63(a)(3)). The party must also monitor the rental at least once a week when it is rented (§ 22-63(a)(8)).

Rentals already operating above the new cap could apply for five years of grandfathered status at two persons per bedroom plus four additional persons (§ 22-64(c)(1)). Parking is tied to the cap as well: one off-street space for every four persons of permitted occupancy (§ 22-62).