Orlando, FL short-term rental rules
Whole-home rentals under 30 days are “Not Permitted” in residential zones. Only owner-occupied home sharing (up to half the bedrooms) is allowed in neighborhoods.
Does this apply to you?
Permits open · Home Share registration is not capped; the gate is owner occupancy and an inspection of the rented space.
- conditional
Renting your primary residence
You live there and rent a room, or the whole home while you are away.
Yes, as a registered Home Share (City Code Ch. 58 Part 5B(19)): you must live on-site and may rent no more than half the bedrooms for stays of 1–29 nights. Renting the entire home while you are away is not permitted.
Verified 2026-07-23 · City of Orlando — Short-Term Rentals fact sheet (Chapter 58) · City of Orlando — Home Sharing Registration
- restricted
Whole-home investment property
You do not live there; the unit is rented short-term full time.
No in residential zones — the city classifies a whole-home rental under 30 days as “Not Permitted.” A Commercial Dwelling Unit (7–29 nights) is allowed only in certain non-residential zoning districts with a Business Tax Receipt.
Verified 2026-07-23 · City of Orlando — Short-Term Rentals fact sheet (Chapter 58) · City of Orlando Code, Chapter 58 (Municode)
- conditional
Tenant subletting short-term
You rent the home and want to host guests with landlord consent.
A tenant may register a Home Share with notarized owner permission, subject to the same live-on-site and half-the-bedrooms limits.
Verified 2026-07-23 · City of Orlando — Short-Term Rentals fact sheet (Chapter 58)
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
Applies only to parcels inside Orlando city limits. If the Orange County Property Appraiser lists the address as “Unincorporated,” see the unincorporated Orange County record instead. The vacation homes marketed as “Orlando” near Disney are mostly in Osceola County.
For the whole market — every jurisdiction that gets marketed under the same name — read the Orlando / Kissimmee guide.
The rules
The City of Orlando is one of the most restrictive places in Central Florida to short-term rent. Its Chapter 58 fact sheet lists renting an entire home for 1–29 nights as a flat “Not Permitted” use, and its FAQ answers “Can I rent my entire home?” with “Generally, no.”
What is allowed in residential districts is Owner-Occupied Home Sharing: the owner (or a tenant with notarized owner permission) lives on-site and rents up to half the bedrooms. Registration costs $275 the first year, then $100/yr owner-occupied or $125/yr non-owner-occupied, and the rented space must pass inspection. Bed-and-breakfast use is capped at two rooms on a residential site.
Whole-unit rentals of 7–29 nights exist only as Commercial Dwelling Units in non-residential zoning districts with a Business Tax Receipt; a whole-unit stay under 7 nights is classified as a motel. Stays of 30+ nights are ordinary leases.
Lodging tax stacks to about 12.5%: 6% state sales tax, 0.5% Orange County surtax, and the 6% Orange County tourist development tax, which Airbnb and Vrbo remit under agreement with the Comptroller (you remain responsible for filing). Orlando can keep whole-home rentals out of neighborhoods because its restrictions predate Florida’s June 1, 2011 preemption cutoff (Fla. Stat. § 509.032(7)(b)).
At a glance
| Governing body | City of Orlando (municipality) |
|---|---|
| Permit / license | Home Share registration ($275 first year) or BTR for Commercial Dwelling Units |
| Primary residence | Home Share only — live on-site, rent up to half the bedrooms |
| Whole-home investor | Not Permitted in residential zones |
| Night cap / minimum stay | None (stays 1–29 nights) |
| Lodging tax | 12.5% (6% state + 0.5% surtax + 6% Orange TDT) |
State context: Florida short-term rental laws — preemption, the DBPR license, and what cities may still regulate.
Primary sources
- City of Orlando — Short-Term Rentals fact sheet (Chapter 58)
- City of Orlando — Home Sharing Registration
- City of Orlando Code, Chapter 58 (Municode)
- Orange County Comptroller — Tourist Development Tax FAQs
- Florida DOR — 2026 Discretionary Sales Surtax (DR-15DSS)
- Fla. Stat. § 509.032 (vacation-rental preemption)