Tampa, FL Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Tampa, FL, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Restriction
- F.S. 509.032(7)(b) preempts city-level STR bans and duration limits in Tampa
- Pre-2011 Grandfathered
- No pre-2011 grandfathered STR ordinance exists for the City of Tampa
- License
- Florida DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling/Condo license required under F.S. Ch. 509
- Age Restriction
- City of Tampa Business Tax Receipt required under Tampa Code Chapter 24
- Hillsborough County
- Hillsborough County 6% Tourist Development Tax must be remitted by the operator
- Combined Lodging
- Combined lodging taxes: 6% state sales + 0.5% county surtax + 6%
- Airbnb And
- Airbnb and VRBO do not remit the 6% Hillsborough Tourist Development Tax
Summary
The City of Tampa does not require a city-issued short-term rental (STR) operating permit. Florida Statute 509.032(7)(b) preempts local governments adopting ordinances after June 1, 2011 from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating their duration or frequency. Tampa has no pre-2011 grandfathered STR ordinance, so hosts must instead obtain a state vacation rental license from the Florida DBPR under F.S. Ch. 509, a City of Tampa Business Tax Receipt, register with the Florida Department of Revenue for state sales tax, and register with the Hillsborough County Tax Collector for the 6% Tourist Development Tax.
(7) PREEMPTION AUTHORITY. — (a) The regulation of public lodging establishments and public food service establishments, including, but not limited to, sanitation standards, inspections, training and testing of personnel, and matters related to the nutritional content and marketing of foods offered in such establishments, is preempted to the state. This paragraph does not preempt the authority of a local government or local enforcement district to conduct inspections of public lodging and public food service establishments for compliance with the Florida Building Code and the Florida Fire Prevention Code, pursuant to ss. 553.80 and 633.206. (b) A local law, ordinance, or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of rental of vacation rentals. This paragraph does not apply to any local law, ordinance, or regulation adopted on or before June 1, 2011.
Full Breakdown
S. 032(7)(b), which prohibits municipalities from enacting any ordinance adopted on or after June 1, 2011 that prohibits vacation rentals, regulates the duration or frequency of rentals, or treats vacation rentals differently than other residential dwellings. Tampa did not adopt a pre-June-2011 STR ordinance, so the city cannot impose a stand-alone STR operating permit. S. 242(1)(c) as a transient public lodging establishment that is rented more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less.
S. Ch. S. 0104. Properties must comply with generally applicable Tampa zoning, building, life-safety, and noise ordinances. 5% county surtax on Tampa bookings; they do NOT collect the 6% Hillsborough Tourist Development Tax, which the operator must remit directly to the Hillsborough County Tax Collector.
Violations & Fines
Operating a vacation rental in Tampa without a Florida DBPR license is a violation of F.S. Ch. 509 enforceable by DBPR through administrative fines and license suspension or revocation. Failure to obtain a City of Tampa Business Tax Receipt is enforceable under Tampa Code Chapter 24 with penalties and back taxes due. Failure to register and remit the 6% Hillsborough Tourist Development Tax is enforceable under F.S. 125.0104 and F.S. 212.12 with interest and penalties assessed by the Hillsborough County Tax Collector. Although Tampa cannot prohibit the rental itself, code enforcement may cite STR properties under generally applicable nuisance, noise (Tampa Code Ch. 14), parking, trash, and zoning ordinances that apply to all dwellings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a City of Tampa permit to run an Airbnb?
What taxes do I owe on a Tampa short-term rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tampa
How Tampa compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Tampa to another location·View the Florida short-term rentals overview
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Short-Term Rental Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hillsborough County handle short-term rental permits.