Fort Lauderdale, FL Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Code of Ordinances Sec. 15-278(2)
- Overnight Limit
- 2 persons per sleeping room
- Gathering Limit
- 1.5x overnight max, never more than 20 persons
- Children Exemption
- Up to 4 persons under age 13 not counted
- Owner-Occupied
- Gathering cap waived if owner present
- Verification
- Sleeping rooms confirmed by city inspection
Summary
Fort Lauderdale caps overnight vacation-rental occupancy at two persons per sleeping room (verified by city inspection) and limits gatherings to 1.5 times the overnight maximum, never exceeding 20 persons.
Maximum occupancy. a. The maximum number of transient occupants authorized to stay overnight at any vacation rental shall be limited to two (2) persons per sleeping room. The number of sleeping rooms shall be confirmed by on-site inspection by a representative of the city, and b. The maximum number of persons allowed to gather at or occupy a vacation rental shall not exceed one and one-half (1 1/2) times the maximum occupants authorized to stay overnight at that site, as shown on the certificate of compliance, and in no event shall a gathering exceed twenty (20) persons. This subsection b. shall not apply to owner-occupied vacation rentals when the property owner is physically present on the site during the gathering, and c. Up to four (4) persons under thirteen (13) years of age are exempt from and shall not count towards the occupancy limits set in subsections a. and b. above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67 Update 1 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 58 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 15-278(2) of the Fort Lauderdale Code of Ordinances sets the maximum occupancy for registered vacation rentals. The maximum number of transient occupants authorized to stay overnight is limited to two persons per sleeping room, with the number of sleeping rooms confirmed by an on-site inspection by a city representative (Sec. 15-278(2)a). A 'sleeping room' is defined in Sec. 15-271 as a room primarily designed and used for sleeping, excluding living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms, laundries, pantries, foyers, corridors, closets, and storage space. 5 times the authorized overnight occupants shown on the Certificate of Compliance, and in no event may a gathering exceed 20 persons (Sec.
15-278(2)b); this gathering cap does not apply to owner-occupied vacation rentals when the owner is physically present. Up to four persons under thirteen years of age are exempt from both occupancy limits (Sec. 15-278(2)c). The maximum occupancy is fixed at the inspection, must be posted on the Certificate of Compliance near the main entrance (Sec. 15-278(9)), and any change in the number of bedrooms or maximum occupancy requires a registration modification (Sec. 15-273(c)).
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the occupancy limits is a civil infraction. By Sec. 15-282(b)(2), occupancy violations under Sec. 15-278(2) constitute a single violation for a rental period (rather than a per-day violation). The civil penalty is $250 uncontested / $325 contested per Sec. 15-282(c), and repeated violations can lead to suspension of the Certificate of Compliance under Sec. 15-282(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Lauderdale
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