Short-term rentals in Indian Rocks Beach, explained properly.

Sec. 110-842 says no person may rent all or any part of a dwelling unit as a short-term vacation rental without first and then continuously obtaining (1) a Florida Department of Revenue certificate of registration for tourist development, sales surtax and transient rental taxes, if applicable, and (2) a Florida DBPR licence as a transient public lodging establishment, if applicable; only after those may the owner obtain the City business tax receipt. If an item does not apply, the owner gives the City a written statement and supporting documents, and the city manager or designee decides whether the requirement applies. The registration application (Sec. 18-206(c)(4)-(6)) asks for the current DBPR licence or registration number, the Department of Revenue and Pinellas County certificates (unless a booking platform remits all the taxes), and the City business tax receipt; the City's document checklist lists the DOR certificate, the DBPR lodging licence and the Pinellas County Tax Collector registration. State-level licence rules are in the state section.

Sec. 18-206(c) lists: address and proof of ownership (deed or property appraiser page); owner name, address, phone, email and date of title; the primary responsible person and any secondary contacts with emergency numbers; the DBPR licence number; the Department of Revenue and Pinellas County tax certificates (unless a platform remits the taxes); the City business tax receipt; a statement of the number of bedrooms (as defined in Sec. 18-200) and the number and location of parking spaces; a scaled exterior site plan and interior floor plan by floor (owner-drawn is acceptable); a signed acknowledgement of compliance including FEMA requirements; the occupancy limit; a narrative parking plan; any owner conduct rules; and a statement of how each guest will receive and acknowledge the City rules on solid waste, noise, parking and quiet hours. The City's form is signed before a notary, and its checklist adds proof of fire inspection or a scheduled inspection with Pinellas Suncoast Fire Rescue District. Incomplete applications are not processed. Applications are sworn under penalty of perjury (Sec. 18-213).

The City's vacation rental page says that beginning October 1, 2026 the annual fees per unit are: new or initial registration $600.00 and renewal registration $600.00; new business tax receipt (BTR) $26.25 and renewal BTR $10.50; late renewal registration $200.00 on top of the renewal fee (late if the renewal comes after the 12-month annual expiration); inspection $150.00; re-inspection $75.00. The City's application form (updated 10.2026) shows the same amounts, with the registration fee, inspection fee and initial BTR fee due when the application is submitted, payable by check or credit card. The page says the fees were adopted in City Resolution 2026-16 on September 8, 2026; the resolution itself is a scanned PDF that could not be read, so the amounts here come from the City page and application. Sec. 18-205 sets fees by commission resolution with no difference between initial, renewed or transferred registration fees, and Sec. 110-843(2)(c) also states a $75.00 re-inspection fee. The administrative fee to change an agent or responsible person is set by resolution and was not in the pages read.

Sec. 18-210 has each vacation rental inspected in conjunction with its initial or annual renewal application by the City's code inspector, a representative of the fire district serving the City and, if needed, the building official, to check compliance with the Florida Building Code and Fire Prevention Code, the submitted plans, required safety equipment and postings. Newly-registering rentals may not begin operating until the application process, including the inspection, is completed; for renewals only, if an inspector's availability causes a delay the city manager may allow operation on an interim basis for up to 30 days. If the inspector cannot get in because of the owner, responsible person or occupant, the owner re-applies and pays a re-inspection fee, and failing to make the unit available within 20 days of the City's written notice that it is ready to inspect is a violation that continues until the inspection is done. Article IX (Sec. 110-843(2)(b)) words the annual inspection more loosely ("may be required"); Article V's "shall be inspected" is the more specific text and is followed here. The City's checklist asks for proof of a fire inspection, or a scheduled inspection, with Pinellas Suncoast Fire Rescue District.

A vacation rental registration is valid for one year from the date the application is approved and is the permission to operate (Sec. 18-208). Each owner must renew annually before the expiration date, and each renewal makes the unit subject to the annual inspection and applicable fees (Sec. 18-209). The City's form says renewals fall due by the date of inception. Changes to the owner's safety or parking plans or to the responsible person need an amended registration with the fee (Sec. 18-207(a)). The late renewal fee is on the City's fee list (see fees).

When title to a registered vacation rental changes by sale or otherwise, the new owner files a new application within 30 days of the title change; a new owner may not keep operating if no application is filed in that window, and the existing approved registration expires on the 31st day (Sec. 18-211). A change of ownership, including a transfer between legal entities under common control, requires a new application and the applicable application fee (Sec. 18-207(b)). The temporary higher occupancy cap for rentals that were lawfully operating when the article was adopted also ends at a sale or transfer of title (Sec. 18-216(b)(4)).

Sec. 18-216(a): in the S, RM 2 and RM 1 districts, overnight occupancy is two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons who may sleep in a common area, never more than ten overnight occupants regardless of bedrooms; in the CT district the same two-per-bedroom-plus-two formula applies with a ceiling of twelve. "Overnight" means present between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (Sec. 18-200). The registration states the limit, and advertising must match it. A rental lawfully operating when the article took effect had a temporary higher cap (14 occupants in CT, 12 elsewhere) for two calendar years from the effective date, after which the lower limits apply automatically, and the higher cap ends at a sale or transfer of title (Sec. 18-216(b)). The limits do not apply when the property is owner-occupied by the owner, if the legal owner is a natural person and not a trust or corporate entity, after an affidavit is submitted and accepted (Sec. 18-216(c)).

Sec. 18-218(a): single-family and two-family dwellings need one on-site space per bedroom as designated in the registration; multifamily dwellings need two spaces for one- or two-bedroom units and one per bedroom for units with more than two. Existing parking at condominium properties in the CT district and at historically recognised cottages that lawfully operate as short-term rentals does not have to be modified, but the designated space must stay vacant and available to guests and be shown in the parking plan. Vehicles should be parked in a driveway or parking area on the premises; garage space counts only if a compact car can safely fit, and it is a violation to list garage space and then make it unavailable. The application requires a parking plan that includes the prohibition against guests parking on the street or adjacent right-of-way (Sec. 18-206(c)(12)).

Chapter 18: a responsible person is the owner or a natural person 18 or older named by the owner (an entity cannot serve); a unit may have no more than two designated responsible persons, one primary and one secondary (Sec. 18-215(a)(1)). They must be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including holidays, and have authority to act within one hour of notice on life-safety, noise, violent confrontations, trespassing, capacity and parking violations; failure to reach the owner or any responsible person within the time creates a rebuttable presumption of a violation, and the person keeps a record of each complaint and response for at least two years (Sec. 18-215(a), (d)). Service on the responsible person counts as service on the owner. Chapter 110, Article IX: "There shall only be one designated responsible party for each short-term vacation rental" (Sec. 110-841); that person is available 24/7 by posted phone, is authorized to accept legal notices, keeps a record of rental agreements and checks the unit at least once a week (Sec. 110-844). One designated party (Article IX) and up to two (Article V) cannot both be applied as written, and neither section says it replaces the other, so both are shown and the row is marked for review.

Article IX (Sec. 110-844(1)): the business tax receipt number and the phone number of the designated responsible party are posted on the front exterior in a place accessible to the public on a non-illuminated sign one square foot on each side, white background, black Times New Roman or Arial in no smaller than 48-point type, weather-resistant wood or plastic; the sign requirement does not apply where the owner occupies a portion of the rental as the primary residence. Article V (Sec. 18-215(b)): the same one-square-foot, white, black Times New Roman or Arial sign identifying the business tax receipt number and the primary responsible party's phone, but in no smaller than 144-point type (or 1.5 inches high), and no exterior posting is required in the CT district. The type sizes conflict and neither article says it supersedes the other, so both are shown and the row is marked for review; the City's checklist treats the sign photo as a required item that can be supplied after the application.

Sec. 18-217(c)-(d): on the interior front door or a wall within five feet of it (English, non-script font, at least 14-point) post the owner's conduct rules, the overnight occupancy limit, the name, email and phone of the owner or responsible person, the quiet-hours notice (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.), and a building evacuation map next to each bedroom door and exit door; outdoor lounges, patios and porches carry a sign asking guests to keep noise respectful. Inside the unit also provide the street address and unit number, the City document of code excerpts (solid waste, noise, sea turtle lighting), the maximum number of vehicles with a sketch of the paved off-street parking, trash and recycling days, the address, phone and directions for HCA Florida Largo Hospital and Morton Plant Hospital, Pinellas County Sheriff's Office and Pinellas Suncoast Fire and Rescue District numbers, evacuation instructions and routes, and National Weather Service rip-current information. Article IX (Sec. 110-846) separately lists postings of the responsible party's name and phone, the chapter 26 notice, trash and recycling days, nearest hospital and an evacuation-order statement.

Sec. 18-214 requires any advertising to conform to the registration (maximum occupancy, available parking), display the City vacation rental registration number, and carry the statement "You are vacationing in a residential area. Please be a good neighbor by keeping the noise to a respectful level during the day and night." (the full notice is quoted in Sec. 18-214(b)); no rental may be advertised as an event venue for weddings, corporate retreats or film productions likely to draw attendance above the permitted occupancy or parking. Ads without the information, or with inaccurate information, are violations; newspaper ads may be abbreviated if they point to a website and in-unit postings. Article IX (Sec. 110-843(3)) separately says all advertising must identify the City-issued business tax receipt number. The two articles name different numbers; both are listed here; confirm with the City which number it expects in a listing.

Sec. 110-845: each tenancy has a written or online lease, rental or usage agreement between the owner or responsible party and the guest, containing the guest's agreement to the article's regulations, the name of the primary responsible lessor who will occupy the unit and the dates of occupancy; the City may request a copy. Sec. 18-206(c)(13)-(14) separately has the owner describe how guests receive and acknowledge the owner's conduct rules and the City rules on solid waste, noise, parking and quiet hours.

Sec. 18-217(b): City noise ordinances apply to vacation rentals; no one may create or permit unreasonable noise that disturbs a reasonable person; and sound measured at or beyond the property line may not exceed the Table 1 levels for residential land use (including S, RM 1 and RM 2): 60 dB(A) from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 55 dB(A) from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday, with a dB(C) octave-band limit of 60 dB(C) or a five-decibel increase over the dB(A) level, whichever is greater. Using amplified sound between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. outside a completely enclosed permanent structure is prohibited if it annoys or disturbs a reasonable person or exceeds those levels, unless the City has issued a permit under Sec. 26-33(b).

Sec. 18-220: pools, spas and hot tubs must meet the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act (F.S. ch. 515); a hard-wired smoke and carbon monoxide system under Florida Building Code Residential R314 and R315; an illuminated or reflective "EXIT" sign at each exit doorway; at least one working multi-purpose (ABC) extinguisher on each floor, wall-mounted in a visible place (not in a closet or cabinet) and maintained under NFPA 10; and hard-wired battery emergency lighting at each building exit that lights automatically for at least 90 minutes. Sec. 18-217(a) and Article IX (Sec. 110-843(1)) also require compliance with the Florida Building Code and Fire Prevention Code.

Sec. 18-219(a)-(b) prohibits the owner, tenant or agent of a single-family dwelling, duplex, duplex townhouse or townhouse from listing on any online marketplace, or otherwise renting, any amenity, feature or accessory building separate from the primary structure, for any length of time; the list includes sheds, garages, docks, boat slips and lifts, driveways, rooftops, attics, pools, spas, saunas, fire pits, putting greens, sports courts, gardens, gazebos, outdoor kitchens and front, rear or side yards. Sec. 18-219(c) carves out renting clubhouse rooms or spaces, storage closets, parking spaces or garages of condominiums between the association and its residents or between residents.

Sec. 18-218(g) says no accessory structure, vehicle, recreational vehicle, trailer, camper, boat, yacht or similar apparatus may be used or rented as a vacation rental, or used to provide sleeping quarters or accommodate more than the permitted number of overnight occupants. Other property rules in Sec. 18-218: no temporary storage containers on the premises (unless authorised by the building department during valid construction permit activity), a rented property is not eligible for a special event permit (an owner may apply for personal use on a sworn statement), garbage and recycling follow chapter 50, and occupants must join mandatory evacuations.

Article IX (Sec. 110-848): progressive enforcement; warnings with a compliance period (and possible notice to DBPR, the Department of Revenue, the Pinellas County Tax Collector and others); then citations with fines of $150.00 for a first offence, $300.00 for a second and $500.00 for a third and any further repeat; each day a violation exists is a separate violation (Sec. 110-847); other remedies (injunction, liens, civil and criminal penalties) remain open. Article V (Sec. 18-202): violations are enforced under Chapter 1, Sec. 1-14 of the Code through the code compliance magistrate, with daily fines and possible suspension or revocation of the registration; the magistrate weighs gravity, corrective action, prior violations, duration and similar factors within the limits of F.S. 162.09. Sec. 18-202 applies "unless specified otherwise in this article", and Article IX has its own fine schedule for violations of that article, so the City's Chapter 1 fine amounts (Sec. 1-14, 1-15) were not read and the two tracks are not reconciled here.

Sec. 18-202(c)-(d): on a third adjudicated or admitted violation of the City Code within a 12-month period at the same unit, the magistrate may temporarily suspend the registration; suspension cannot rest on a mere complaint or an unadjudicated, disputed violation, and a suspended registration is reinstated when the period ends but not while a fine remains owing. On a third legally sustained suspension within three years the magistrate may revoke it, and a revoked registration is not reissued for that unit or property to that owner or any entity in which the owner has a financial or ownership interest. False or misleading application information is also a basis for suspension or revocation (Sec. 18-213). Appeals of a magistrate's final order go to circuit court within 30 days of execution of the order (Sec. 18-203). The City may also terminate all registrations if it regains the authority to prohibit rentals or regulate their duration or frequency (Sec. 18-212).

Florida Statutes § 509.032(7)(b) says a local law, ordinance or regulation may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate how long or how often they are rented. Local rules adopted on or before June 1, 2011 are exempt from this limit, so some older local rules on rental length can still apply. Section 509.032(7)(a) also reserves the regulation of public lodging establishments (sanitation, inspections and similar matters) to the state, while local governments keep building-code and fire-code inspections. Local governments can still require registration and set other rules that do not ban rentals or limit their length or frequency.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), Division of Hotels and Restaurants, licenses vacation rentals. A license is needed when an entire unit is rented more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, or when the unit is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests. Houses, townhouses and buildings of up to four units take a Vacation Rental – Dwelling license; condominium and cooperative units take a Vacation Rental – Condominium license. Renting single rooms rather than the whole unit does not need a DBPR license, though local rules may still apply. Current licenses must be displayed in a conspicuous place on the premises.

New DBPR vacation rental applications pay a $50 application fee, a $10 Hospitality Education Program fee and a license fee. For a single rental unit the full-year license fee is $170 (half-year $90); group licenses for 2 to 25 units are $180 (half-year $95), with higher tiers for more units. Renewals pay the $10 education fee plus the full-year license fee. Renewal and half-year dates depend on the county's DBPR district.

Anyone who rents, leases, lets or grants a license to use transient accommodations must register with the Florida Department of Revenue to collect, report and remit sales tax.

Florida's 6% state sales tax, plus any applicable county discretionary sales surtax, applies to rent paid for living, sleeping or housekeeping accommodations rented for six months or less.

Counties (and certain cities) may add a local option transient rental tax, such as a tourist development tax, on rentals of six months or less, on top of the 6% state sales tax and any surtax. The Department of Revenue's rate table lists each county's rate and who collects it. Most counties administer the tax themselves, and in those counties it is reported and paid directly to the county rather than to the state.