Lee County does not require a host or on-site manager to be present during a vacation rental. State preemption blocks such use-based local rules. Un-hosted, remotely managed whole-home rentals are lawful in the unincorporated area, though state law requires a licensed operator responsible for the establishment.
A rule forcing the host or an agent to be on-site or within a set response window is a use-based regulation of vacation rentals that FS 509.032(7)(b) preempts when adopted after June 1, 2011. Lee County's unincorporated area therefore imposes no host-presence or local-contact mandate specific to vacation rentals. Un-hosted rentals managed remotely or by an off-site property manager are permitted. What state law does require is that the vacation rental operate under a valid DBPR license held by a responsible operator (FS 509.241), and that generally-applicable nuisance and safety codes are met. Practically, most hosts still designate a local contact so noise or emergency complaints can be handled quickly, but that is a best practice, not a Lee County
No host-presence penalty exists at the county level; accountability runs through the state license holder and generally-applicable county code enforcement for any nuisance the rental creates.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Cape Coral, FL
Cape Coral §12-22 (Noise Control Ordinance, amended Dec 2019) prohibits noise plainly audible at 50 feet between 11 PM and 7 AM from any radio, TV, musical i...
Cape Coral, FL
Cape Coral Land Development Code Section 5.2.7 limits residential fences in the front setback, allows up to 6 feet in side and rear yards, and requires open ...
Cape Coral, FL
Dogs in Cape Coral must be under direct control on a leash not exceeding 8 feet in length under Lee County Animal Control Ordinance. Cape Coral Code Chapter ...
Cape Coral, FL
Cape Coral generally allows lawn ornaments, statues, flamingos, garden gnomes, and similar decorative items without a permit. Cape Coral Code Section 5.5.13 ...
Cape Coral, FL
Inflatable holiday displays (giant snowmen, Halloween figures, Easter bunnies) are not specifically regulated by Cape Coral's Code of Ordinances and are gene...
Cape Coral, FL
Cape Coral does not have a dedicated holiday-light ordinance and treats seasonal lighting as a normal residential accessory use, generally allowed without a ...
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See how Cape Coral's host presence rule rules stack up against other locations.
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