Polk County cannot restrict vacation rentals to owner-occupied or primary residences. FS 509.032(7)(b) bars local laws that prohibit vacation rentals or regulate their frequency or duration, so non-owner-occupied STRs are allowed.
A primary-residence-only mandate would effectively prohibit or restrict the frequency of vacation rentals, which FS 509.032(7)(b) forbids for any rule adopted after June 1, 2011. Polk County therefore imposes no owner-occupancy requirement; investors may operate whole-home short-term rentals in the unincorporated area subject only to state DBPR licensing and county tax obligations. Only a pre-2011 grandfathered local rule could impose such a limit, and Polk has none of record.
No county penalty applies—there is no primary-residence rule to violate; operators remain subject to state licensing and county tax enforcement.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Polk County, FL
Polk County addresses hoarding through its nuisance-numbers and animal-care provisions plus Florida's cruelty law. Keeping animals in numbers or conditions t...
Polk County, FL
Polk County follows state law: intentionally feeding bears, alligators, and certain other wildlife is prohibited by Florida's FWC. Penalties under FS 379.412...
Polk County, FL
Polk County does not prohibit backyard composting; UF/IFAS Polk Extension actively promotes home composting. Compost piles must not become a nuisance overgro...
Polk County, FL
Polk County's Land Development Code does not prohibit artificial turf on residential property, but its landscaping standards for new development favor living...
Polk County, FL
Polk County's Land Development Code requires new non-residential and multifamily development to use water-efficient, Florida-friendly landscaping, with nativ...
Polk County, FL
Neither Polk County nor Florida restricts residential rainwater harvesting; rain barrels and cisterns are legal and encouraged for conservation. SWFWMD and U...
See how Polk County's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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