Brevard County, FL Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)
Short-term rental permit rules in Brevard County, FL, also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration, list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
Key Facts
- Registration required
- Tourist development tax account before renting
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine per day
- Governing section
- Brevard County Code § 102-124
- Scope
- Unincorporated Brevard County only
Summary
Anyone who rents out living quarters or operates a vacation rental in unincorporated Brevard County must first obtain a tourist development tax account from the county before renting, or face daily fines for operating unregistered.
No person shall offer for rent or rent living quarters or operate a vacation rental without first applying for and receiving a tourist development tax account from the appropriate county office for the purpose of paying the tourist development tax due from that property owner in accordance with sections 102-117 and 102-118.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Brevard County Code § 102-124 requires anyone who offers for rent, rents living quarters, or operates a vacation rental in unincorporated Brevard County to first apply for and receive a tourist development tax account from the county so the tourist development tax can be collected and remitted. Renting or operating without that account violates § 102-125 and draws a fine of up to $500, with each day of unregistered operation counted as a separate offense. A 120-day amnesty window (from the ordinance's 2014 enactment) let late registrants avoid back taxes. This registration duty applies only in unincorporated Brevard: incorporated cities such as Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, and Cape Canaveral set their own vacation-rental rules.
Violations & Fines
Renting or operating a vacation rental without a tourist development tax account is a violation punishable by a fine of up to $500, with every day of unregistered operation treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to register before renting my house short-term in Brevard County?
What's the penalty for renting without registering?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brevard County
How Brevard County compares: Most Airbnb-Friendly Cities in America·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Brevard County to another location·View the Florida short-term rentals overview
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