As of July 1st, 2018, residents of Orlando are able to offer their homes to guests as short term rentals legally. This ordinance permits residents to host guests in their bedrooms, garage apartments, etc. The following is a complete guideline for Orlando’s short term rental regulations so that anyone can be a responsible host when using platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and other similar services. This rundown should give you a good start in understanding your local laws.
Home Sharing Registration Requirements
In the City of Orlando, a short term rental (STR) is a rental period of fewer than 30 days. Hosts can Apply Online for Home Sharing Registration.
The Home Sharing Ordinance has the following requirements:
- During all guest stays, the host must be present. A resident does not have to be the property owner, but they must prove that it is their primary residence. To operate as a short term rental, they must also acquire notarized permission from the landlord or owner.
- Hosts can offer only a part of the property for rent. While STR operators are not permitted to rent out their entire house, they can rent up to half of the home’s total number of bedrooms. Owners of duplexes are permitted to rent out the complete second unit provided it is of equal or smaller size and situated on the same development site.
- Only a single STR booking at a time. The STR ordinance restricts hosts to just one booking at a time. They can have a maximum of two guests per room and no more than four non-family members at one time in a short term rental.
- Home Owners Association’s approval is required. If applicable, hosts may also require approval from the HOA. If the property is a part of an HOA, the rental registration must be accompanied by a permission letter.
- Proof of registration should be linked to any online advertising. Hosts must ensure that home-sharing registration proof is included with an online advertisement. The property’s online advertisement must reflect the ordinance’s criteria, such as one bedroom available for home sharing in a three-bedroom house.
Annual Fee Structure
Hosts will have to pay an annual fee to register for home-sharing. The fee is $275 for the first year. For each year after that, the owner will have to pay $100 if they reside on the property and $125 if the property is non-owner occupied.
Taxes
Short term rental hosts in Orlando must additionally collect lodging taxes from their visitors. The State collects a 6% Transient Tax and a 0.5% County Discretionary Sales Surtax. Moreover, Orange County collects a 6% Tourist Development Tax.
For hosts in Orlando who use Airbnb for their bookings, Airbnb will automatically collect these lodging taxes. Other short term rental platforms such as HomeAway or VRBO require STR operators to collect and submit these taxes themselves.
Other Short Term Rental Regulations
As a responsible host, you must comprehend and abide by other vacation rental rules and regulations that bind you. These include leases, community rules, HOA rules, or other guidelines set up by tenant associations. Feel free to reach out to your landlord, housing authority, or community council to find out more. To get more information about other regulations, you can also visit Orlando’s official website or contact us.