Bonita Springs, FL Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

The occupancy rule sits inside the permit-denial section of Article IV of Chapter 12. Section 12-112(a) authorizes the city manager or designee to deny or revoke a permit on three grounds: material misrepresentations about the condition of the property, occupancy that is or later becomes in excess of occupancy by a single-family as defined in the Land Development Code, or any other violation of the article. Because section 12-108(a) requires a permit for every rental whether the lease is transient (short term under six months) or long-term, the occupancy standard reaches short-term vacation stays as well. This page quotes only the city's own code volume; the single-family definition that supplies the number is in the Land Development Code and is not reproduced here.

The process is formal. Under section 12-112(b), the city sends written notice by registered mail to the owner or agent named in the application, and mails a copy to at least one tenant if the unit is occupied. A revocation notice states that the revocation takes effect 30 days from the date of the notice unless the grounds are remedied, or legal action to remedy them begins, to the satisfaction of the city manager or designee. Within 30 days of the mailing, the permit holder or agent can ask in writing for a hearing before the hearing examiner. The city manager schedules it within 30 days of the request and gives at least five days' notice.

At the hearing, rules of evidence are not required, anyone can present documents or testimony, and anyone can bring counsel. If the preponderance of the evidence supports the allegation, the permit is denied or revoked; otherwise it is issued or continues. The decision can be appealed to the county court. The city manager can waive revocation when the owner tried in good faith to comply, weighing whether the violation was remedied and the owner's history under the permit.

Section 12-109(e) adds a second route: an adjudication of guilt or plea of no contest to a violation of the Land Development Code provisions on habitation by more than one family, at a permitted unit, is grounds to start revocation proceedings under section 12-112.