Hollywood requires a Vacation Rental License under Chapter 119 of the Code of Ordinances before any property may be advertised or rented for periods under 30 days more than three times per year. Owners must apply online through the city portal, hold a state DBPR transient public lodging license under F.S. 509.241, obtain City and Broward County Business Tax Receipts, pass a residential inspection, and install a noise-monitoring device. Licenses run for one year and are non-transferable.
Hollywood's Vacation Rental License Program is codified in Chapter 119 of the Code of Ordinances and predates Florida's June 1, 2011 preemption (F.S. 509.032(7)(b)), so it remains enforceable as a grandfathered local STR ordinance. Section 119.10 prohibits operating or advertising a vacation rental without a city-issued license. A vacation rental is defined as any single-family or multi-family unit rented to guests more than three times in a year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month (Sec. 119.10). Section 119.11 requires a complete online application identifying the owner, the property address, and a local vacation rental representative reachable 24/7, plus a copy of the active DBPR transient public lodging license under F.S. 509.241 (owner-occupied units exempt from the DBPR copy), copies of the City of Hollywood and Broward County local Business Tax Receipts, a notarized owner certification, an interior/exterior site map, and proof of a noise-level detection device with phone-app alerts. The license is valid one year, is non-transferable, and becomes null upon sale (Sec. 119.11). Properties must pass a residential inspection covering posting requirements, occupancy capped at 2 persons per bedroom, interconnected smoke and CO alarms, fire extinguishers (2A:10B:C minimum), exit signage, pool barriers, trash receptacles, and noise device installation per the City inspection checklist. Operators must run sex-offender background checks on occupants under the posted occupant notice. Apply at hollywoodfl.org/946 or contact the Office of Treasury at 954.921.3225.
Operating or advertising a vacation rental without a city license is enforceable under Chapter 119 and Chapter 37 (Code Enforcement) with daily fines, license revocation, and lien actions under F.S. 162. Inspection failures must be re-inspected within 30 days. Operating with a convicted sex offender among occupants is grounds for immediate license revocation per the city's required occupant posting.
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