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

16(E) of the Land Development Code sets Walton County's substitute for host-presence: rather than requiring the owner to be physically present, the county requires a short-term vacation rental responsible party assigned to every certified unit. The property owner may fill this role personally or designate someone else, and any person 18 or older can serve as long as they can perform the listed duties. Those duties are specific: the responsible party must be available by landline or mobile phone at the listed number 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and capable of handling issues arising from the rental's use; if necessary, they must be willing and able to reach the rental unit within one hour of notification from an occupant, the owner, or the county; they are authorized to receive service of legal notices on the owner's behalf for violations of the section; and they must otherwise monitor the unit at least once weekly to confirm continued compliance, including with parking and trash rules.

Only one responsible party may be designated per rental at any given time, and if that person is an individual, they must arrange an alternate for periods of unavailability. Changing the designated responsible party requires written notice to the county on a county-provided form. 16(A): a rental cannot be certified without a responsible party on file. Failure to comply with the responsible-party requirements is enforced through the progressive enforcement program in subsection H, starting with a warning and correction period before civil citation.