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Osceola County, FL Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified July 2026

Key Facts

Primary-residence rule
Not allowed: preempted
Investor rentals
Permitted if licensed
Rental definition
1–4 family transient lodging
State authority
FS 509.242 / 509.032(7)
County leverage
License, tax, occupancy, noise

Summary

No. Osceola County cannot require a short-term rental to be the owner's primary residence. Florida's FS 509.032(7)(b) bars counties from prohibiting vacation rentals or restricting their duration/frequency, so non-owner-occupied and investor-owned rentals are allowed if licensed.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Osceola County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

A vacation rental is any unit or group of units in a condominium or cooperative or any individually or collectively owned single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family house or dwelling unit that is also a transient public lodging establishment but that is not a timeshare project.

View official code

Full Breakdown

A vacation rental in Florida is defined broadly as any single-family through four-family dwelling used as a transient public lodging establishment (FS 509.242(1)(c)), no owner-occupancy is built in. Because FS 509.032(7)(b) forbids counties from banning vacation rentals or capping how often they rent, Osceola County cannot impose a primary-residence-only rule. Investor-owned resort dwellings are common across the Disney/US-192 corridor. The county's leverage is licensing, inspection, occupancy, parking, noise, and the 6% tourist tax, not owner residency.

Violations & Fines

There is no residency violation to enforce; enforcement instead targets unlicensed operation, unpaid tourist tax, and occupancy/parking/noise breaches.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run an Osceola rental I don't live in?
Yes. Florida bars counties from requiring owner-occupancy; investor-owned short-term rentals are legal in unincorporated Osceola County if properly licensed and taxed.
What counts as a vacation rental in Florida?
Under FS 509.242, any one- to four-family house or dwelling unit used as transient public lodging, not a timeshare, is a vacation rental.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Osceola County

Noise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsShort-Term Rental PermitsSome RestrictionsHost Presence RuleSome RestrictionsShort-Term Rental Parking RulesSome RestrictionsNight CapsFew RestrictionsTaxes & FeesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome Restrictions

All Osceola County rules

Florida rules heatmap·Compare Osceola County to another location·View the Florida short-term rentals overview

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