St. Johns County, FL Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LDC § 2.02.04.B.19.a
- Exempt if
- Full-time owner-occupied homestead dwelling
- Also exempt
- Owner-occupied half of a duplex
- Not exempt
- Second homes or non-resident owners
- West of Intracoastal
- Separately exempt area
- If misclaimed
- Treated as unregistered STR
Summary
If you live in your St. Johns County home full time and it's your homestead, you can rent out rooms or the whole house short term without registering it as a Short Term Vacation Rental at all. Land Development Code Section 2.02.04.B.19.a exempts an owner-occupied, homesteaded Single Family Dwelling from the county's entire STR registration, occupancy, parking and inspection scheme.
All Short Term Vacation Rentals in St. Johns County shall be subject to the regulations set forth herein, with the exception of those located: (1) In the unincorporated areas of St. Johns County located west of the Intracoastal Waterway; (2) In a Single Family Dwelling occupied on a full-time basis by the owner as an on-premises, permanent resident and that has been declared and continues to be declared as homestead by the Property Appraiser; (3) In a Two Family Dwelling, where both Dwellings are under common ownership and one of the Dwellings (a) is occupied on a full-time basis by the owner of the Dwellings as an on-premises, permanent resident and (b) has been declared and continues to be declared ... as homestead by the Property Appraiser; or (4) In a Multi-Family Dwelling governed by or subject to a property owners association, condominium owners association, or homeowners association, or with onsite property management.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
a lists four categories of dwelling that fall outside the county's Short Term Vacation Rental ordinance entirely, and the second is built around the host's own presence. 19: no registration application, no business tax receipt, no Florida Department of Revenue tourist-tax certificate, none of the occupancy, parking, solid-waste or fire-extinguisher standards that apply to a standalone rental. The same logic extends to a Two Family Dwelling under common ownership where one of the two units is the owner's full-time homesteaded residence, so a duplex owner who lives in one side can rent the other short term without registering it.
The ordinance draws the line at actual, continuous residency tied to homestead status, not simply owning the property or staying there occasionally; a second home or an investment property the owner visits periodically does not qualify. Two other categories share the same exemption list: rentals in the unincorporated area west of the Intracoastal Waterway, and units inside a Multi-Family Dwelling that has a property owners', condominium or homeowners association or onsite property management, on the theory that those governance structures already police short-term use. 19.
Violations & Fines
Claiming the owner-occupancy exemption without actually meeting it, for instance renting out a homesteaded house while not living there full time, doesn't excuse the property from the Short Term Vacation Rental ordinance; it just means the county treats the rental as unregistered. Operating an unregistered, non-exempt Short Term Vacation Rental is enforced under Section 2.02.04.B.19.g, which gives the owner or occupant seven days to correct a violation and authorizes a civil penalty set by Board of County Commissioners resolution, plus injunctive relief for repeat noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I rent out a room in my house while I still live there?
Does the exemption cover a second home I only visit sometimes?
What if I claim the exemption but don't actually live there full time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Johns County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare St. Johns County to another location·View the Florida short-term rentals overview
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