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STR Law Map

Destin, FL short-term rental rules

conditionalVerified · 2026-09-05City of Destin (municipality)

Whole-home short-term rentals are legal in Destin only in the zoning districts the city lists as STR-eligible, and every rental under 180 days must hold an annual city registration.

Does this apply to you?

Zone-limited · No numeric cap; the city registers only properties in STR-eligible zoning districts, and registration runs January 1 to March 31 each year with late fees of $100 after March 31 and $500 after June 1.

  1. Renting your primary residence

    You live there and rent a room, or the whole home while you are away.

    conditional

    Destin has no owner-occupancy rule; whether you live in the home does not matter. What matters is the zoning district: the city only registers short-term rentals in the districts it lists as STR-eligible (Holiday Isle, Crystal Beach, the harbor and resort mixed-use districts, and a few others). Any rental of a single-family home, duplex, townhome, or condominium for less than 180 days must be registered with the city each year, alongside a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license and city and county business tax receipts.

    Verified 2026-09-05 · City of Destin — Short Term Rentals FAQ · City of Destin Code of Ordinances, Ch. 13 Art. VI — Registration of Short-Term Rentals (PDF)

    What the source says

  2. Whole-home investment property

    You do not live there; the unit is rented short-term full time.

    conditional

    Yes, if the parcel is in an STR-eligible zoning district. The city's 2026 registration guide lists Crystal Beach Resort, Crystal Beach Neighborhood, Low/Medium/High Density Residential – Holiday Isle, Bay Resort, Calhoun, Gulf Resort, Holiday Isle, North Harbor, South Harbor and Town Center Mixed-Use, ROI-TD, and Commercial General, with Conditional Use approval required for some unit types in CMU-V, SHMU, CBN and TCMU. A Change of Use may also be required. Registration costs $500 (up to 2,499 sq ft), $600 (2,500–4,999) or $700 (5,000+) per year, needs a notarized bedroom/parking affidavit, a city BTR, a DBPR license and a Florida DOR resale certificate, and overnight occupancy is capped at two adults per bedroom plus four, never more than 24.

    Verified 2026-09-05 · City of Destin — 2026 Short-Term Rental Registration Guide (PDF) · City of Destin — Short Term Rentals FAQ

    What the source says
    • For a property to be eligible to register as an STR, it must be in the proper zoning district (Article 7 of the City’s LDC) — City of Destin — 2026 Short-Term Rental Registration Guide (PDF)
    • The maximum allowable occupancy in a STR is 2 adults per bedroom plus an additional 4 persons per property. (For example, a three bedroom house is allowed 10 people for overnight occupancy). Overall maximum overnight occupancy is capped at 24 persons per house, regardless of the number of bedrooms. — City of Destin — Short Term Rentals FAQ

  3. Tenant subletting short-term

    You rent the home and want to host guests with landlord consent.

    Not reviewed yet

    We have not yet reviewed whether a tenant can operate a short-term rental in Destin.

STR Law Map is a reference, not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice. Rules change — confirm current requirements with the city before operating.

Which government controls the parcel

This record governs addresses inside the City of Destin city limits in Okaloosa County, Florida — Holiday Isle, Crystal Beach, the Destin Harbor area, and the Highway 98 corridor between the Marler Bridge and the Walton County line. It does not govern Miramar Beach, Sandestin, or Seascape (unincorporated Walton County), Okaloosa Island (unincorporated Okaloosa County), or Fort Walton Beach (separate city). Confirm the taxing authority on the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser parcel page before relying on this record.

The rules

Short-term rentals are legal in the City of Destin, but only where zoning allows them. The city treats any rental of a single-family home, duplex, townhome, or condominium for less than 180 days as a short-term rental that must register annually, and it registers only properties in the districts it lists as STR-eligible: Crystal Beach Resort and Neighborhood, the three Holiday Isle residential districts, the Bay Resort, Calhoun, Gulf Resort, Holiday Isle, North Harbor, South Harbor and Town Center mixed-use districts, ROI-TD, and Commercial General. Some unit types in CMU-V, SHMU, CBN and TCMU need Conditional Use approval first. Ordinary residential districts outside those areas are not on the list.

Registration is done through the city's MyGovernmentOnline portal and must be renewed every year; it is non-transferable when the home sells or changes management company. The fee is $500 for homes up to 2,499 square feet, $600 for 2,500–4,999, and $700 for 5,000 or more (from the city FAQ; the code itself sets fees by council resolution). Required items include proof of ownership, a notarized affidavit of bedrooms and parking, a City of Destin Business Tax Receipt, an Okaloosa County BTR, a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license, a Florida DOR resale certificate, a 24/7 local responsible party who can reach the home within one hour, an exterior sign with the manager and emergency contact, and interior notice signs. A Change of Use review by Planning may also be required before registration. Late registrations pay $100 after March 31 and $500 after June 1.

Lodging tax stacks to 13%: 6% Florida sales tax plus the 1% Okaloosa discretionary surtax (both to the Department of Revenue) and the 6% Okaloosa County Tourist Development Tax, which since 2022 is administered by the Okaloosa Clerk of Court through the MUNIRevs portal. The Clerk states that all owners or operators must register and collect the tax from guests and remit it monthly; we did not find an official statement that Airbnb or Vrbo remit the Okaloosa TDT, so budget to file yourself unless the Clerk confirms otherwise.

Overnight occupancy (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.) is limited to two adults per bedroom plus four people, capped at 24. Guests must park in the improved driveway or garage, not the right-of-way; noise, garbage, and trespass rules apply; and the city can cite or impound. The registration article dates to Ordinance 151.23 of June 3, 2002 (amended 2015 and 2019), which predates the June 1, 2011 cutoff in Fla. Stat. § 509.032(7)(b), so the city's registration scheme and its zoning limits on where rentals may occur are grandfathered. We did not confirm the adoption date of each zoning-district use rule in the Land Development Code.

Not yet reviewed: whether condominiums in resort districts face any additional restrictions beyond the simplified registration, tenant-operated rentals, and the exact Change of Use triggers.

At a glance

Governing bodyCity of Destin (municipality)
Permit / licenseCity STR registration (annual, $500–$700 by sq ft) + city and county BTR + DBPR license
Primary residenceNo residence rule — zoning district decides
Whole-home investorYes — in listed STR zoning districts only; some need Conditional Use
Night cap / minimum stayNone (rentals under 180 days must register)
Lodging tax13% (6% state + 1% Okaloosa surtax + 6% Okaloosa TDT, remitted to the Clerk of Court)

State context: Florida short-term rental laws — preemption, the DBPR license, and what cities may still regulate.

Primary sources

STR Law Map is a reference, not a law firm. Nothing here is legal advice. Rules change — confirm current requirements with the city before operating.

Reviewed September 5, 2026 · Every regulatory field on this page is checked against a primary government source — see the editorial & sourcing policy.

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