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

Every special vacation rental permit in unincorporated Monroe County comes with a live-body requirement, not just paperwork. Land Development Code Section 134-1(e)(10) requires every vacation rental unit to have a vacation rental manager licensed by the planning department, and that manager must reside within, and be licensed for, the same section of the county, Upper, Middle or Lower Keys, where the rental unit sits, and be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to complaints about tenant conduct or violations. Section 134-1(e)(11) backs that up with a response clock: complaints to the manager about occupant violations must be answered within one hour, with the neighbor who complained contacted and told what action was taken, and a record of the complaint and response kept for at least three months for code enforcement to inspect.

The only way around having a dedicated, Keys-resident manager is the exemption in Section 134-1(b)(2): a unit inside a multifamily building in a multifamily district with 24-hour on-site management or supervision approved by the planning director, where a designated staff member physically located in the building or within 300 feet must be available at all times to respond to tenants' and neighbors' complaints. A manager's license can be revoked by the Planning Commission for two or more unanswered complaints in a single year, or for two or more violations tied to the manager's duties, and someone whose license is revoked cannot reapply for two years.