Short-term rentals in Destin, explained properly.

Florida's state preemption law only bars STR bans and frequency regulation in ordinances adopted after June 1, 2011. Some older Florida cities (e.g., Miami Beach, Key West) retain pre-2011 bans in certain zones under grandfathering, and Destin's zoning-based restriction on single-family/townhome STRs works through zoning eligibility rather than an outright ban. Whether Destin's district restriction predates June 1, 2011 (and so is grandfathered) has not yet been confirmed against the city's own code history.

Under Florida's partial preemption framework, Destin may impose local licensing/registration and inspections, maximum occupancy, parking, and noise rules, 24/7 responsible-party requirements, and life-safety/nuisance ordinances. It cannot impose an outright ban, a minimum-stay requirement, or a cap on rental frequency per year, and cannot regulate STRs solely on the basis of their classification, use, or occupancy.

Operators must hold: a City of Destin Business Tax Receipt (renewed by September 30), a Florida DBPR vacation-rental license ($50 application + $10 HEP fee + a license fee that varies by district and unit count), and a City of Destin STR registration (renewed every year; registration opens January 1, with late fees after March 31). A Bedroom/Parking Affidavit documenting legal bedrooms and on-site parking must also be submitted. Registrations can't be transferred to a new owner or a new management company.

Destin requires one on-site parking space per legal bedroom, documented via a Bedroom/Parking Affidavit submitted with the registration application.

Applies to: Applies only to use-classification conversions, not standard registration renewals

A separate $2,000 Change of Use application fee applies if a property's use classification is being converted from residential to commercial in order to operate as a short-term rental.

Operating an unregistered short-term rental can result in misdemeanor charges carrying fines up to $500 and up to 60 days imprisonment, plus administrative actions such as registration denial, suspension, or revocation. Separately, state DBPR violations can reach $1,000 per day.

Registration opens January 1 each year. Properties registered after March 31 pay a $100 late fee; after June 1 the late fee is $500.

HOA and condo association rules may impose minimum stay lengths, rental frequency caps, platform restrictions, and guest age requirements beyond what city or state law requires; these private restrictions are enforceable against the property regardless of what government rules allow.

Florida's state sales tax applies to short-term rental transactions (stays under 6 months) statewide, including in Destin.

Okaloosa County levies a 6% Tourist Development Tax on rentals of six months or less (6% since January 1, 2023 in the original district and since March 1, 2025 in the expanded district). It is county-administered: owners/operators register with the county and remit monthly, separately from state sales tax. The county's 1% discretionary sales surtax is collected with the 6% state sales tax, not with the tourist tax.

Major booking platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo typically handle automatic collection and remittance of applicable state and county taxes on behalf of hosts, though hosts remain responsible for confirming this is happening correctly for their listing.

Applies to: License fee varies; use DBPR's fee calculator for an exact figure

A new Florida DBPR vacation-rental license costs a $50 application fee and a $10 Hospitality Education Program fee, plus a license fee that varies by county district, unit count and timing within the renewal cycle (DBPR's single-unit examples run from $90 for a half-year to $170 for a full year). This is on top of city registration fees.