Tampa, FL Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Tampa does not limit the total number of nights a property may be rented as a short-term rental each year, and it cannot under current Florida law. Florida Statutes 509.032(7)(b) expressly preempts local governments from regulating the duration or frequency of vacation rentals, which bars minimum night stays, maximum annual rental night caps, and caps on number of guests per year that are more restrictive than those applied to other dwellings. As a result, Tampa properties with a valid Florida DBPR Vacation Rental license and the required local Business Tax Receipts can be rented short-term for as many nights per year as the owner chooses.

This contrasts sharply with cities like New York, San Francisco, and Seattle, which cap unhosted stays at 90 or 180 nights per year. Because Florida treats short-term rentals as a protected use on properly licensed property, Tampa's regulatory leverage is limited to registration, taxation, and enforcement of generally applicable rules like noise, parking, and building safety. Legislative efforts at the state level to give local governments more authority have been introduced repeatedly but have not substantially rolled back the 2011 preemption.

Operators should still be aware of platform-specific caps that may apply in their market and of HOA or condominium documents that commonly impose minimum stay requirements independent of city law. HOAs can enforce private covenants that cap rentals, and condo associations in Tampa frequently prohibit stays shorter than 30 or 90 days even where the city allows them.