Clearwater allows transient lodging (rentals under 31 days) only in Tourist District and Commercial zoning where the use is permitted, and requires a city Business Tax Receipt for any property rented for 30 days or less. Operators must also hold a Florida DBPR vacation rental license and register with the Pinellas County Tax Collector for the 6% Tourist Development Tax. Pinellas County's STR Certificate of Use program does not apply inside city limits.
Clearwater predates Florida's 2011 vacation-rental preemption, so its zoning-based prohibition on short stays in residential districts is grandfathered under F.S. 509.032(7)(b). To operate legally an owner must (1) verify the parcel sits in a Tourist or Commercial zoning district where transient accommodation use is permitted by the Community Development Code (most residential districts impose a 31-day minimum stay), (2) hold a current Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants vacation rental license under F.S. 509.241, (3) register with the Florida Department of Revenue for the 6% state sales tax plus 1% Pinellas discretionary surtax, (4) open a Tourist Development Tax account with the Pinellas County Tax Collector and remit the 6% county TDT monthly, and (5) obtain a City of Clearwater Business Tax Receipt for any rental of 30 days or less. The BTR application requires a fire safety inspection, proof of liability insurance, zoning verification, and a local representative with a Florida address and phone number reachable 24/7. Pinellas County's Certificate of Use program (effective 2025) covers only unincorporated Pinellas; properties inside Clearwater are governed solely by the city's BTR and zoning regime.
Operating an STR without a BTR or in a non-permitted residential zone is a Code Compliance violation. Reported penalties begin at $250 per day for a first violation and rise to $500 per day for repeat offenses, with accumulated fines exceeding $8,500 in persistent cases. Advertising daily or weekly rentals in residential zones is independently citable.
See how other cities in Pinellas County handle registration rules.
See how Clearwater's registration rules rules stack up against other locations.
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