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

Short-term rental occupancy in Tampa is capped by the licensed capacity on the property's Florida DBPR Vacation Rental license and by standard building and housing code provisions. Under the Florida Building Code and International Property Maintenance Code, each bedroom must meet minimum square footage, egress, and ventilation standards. Common guidance across Florida jurisdictions is two guests per bedroom plus additional allowances for shared areas, though actual caps depend on square footage and bedroom dimensions.

Florida Statutes 509.032(7)(b) preempts local governments from adopting occupancy caps on vacation rentals that are more restrictive than the caps applied to other residential uses. This means Tampa cannot impose a hard two-guests-per-bedroom rule specific to STRs unless it applies the same rule citywide to all residences. What the city can enforce is the underlying housing code, including overcrowding provisions, parking capacity limits, and fire and life safety rules.

Hosts listing on Airbnb and Vrbo are expected to post the maximum overnight occupancy consistent with their DBPR license and building code limits. Exceeding that cap can jeopardize the state vacation rental license, the local Business Tax Receipt, and insurance coverage. For larger homes seeking to host events or higher day-guest counts, a separate special event or assembly use approval is typically required.