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Last verified: October 22, 2026
Anna Maria Island is three cities with three different short-term rental rulebooks. The City of Anna Maria requires registration and generally caps overnight occupancy at eight guests. Holmes Beach ties minimum stay to zoning (30 days in R-1/R-1AA, 7 days in R-2/R-3/R-4, daily in A-1). Bradenton Beach has its own rules. Manatee tourist tax is not collected by the platforms.
I'm Troy Nowak, broker of Mangrove Bay Realty (BK3436609). I operate rentals in Pinellas and underwrite STR deals across Florida, including Manatee County. This guide covers the current rules by city, why the zoning and occupancy differences create an edge for compliant properties, and what 1- to 5-bedroom homes are selling for versus the revenue AirROI and Rabbu report.
Why the rules create an edge on Anna Maria Island
The three cities have already written relatively strict registration, inspection, and occupancy or minimum-stay rules. That framework limits pure arbitrage supply relative to unrestricted coastal markets. High absolute revenue (AirDNA averages near $116k) exists, but entry prices are also high. Compliant properties with the right zoning and clean registration tend to face less new competition than markets with lighter rules.
Short-term rental rules by city on Anna Maria Island
City of Anna Maria
- Vacation Rental Registration required. New registrations cannot advertise or rent until they pass inspection.
- Occupancy is generally limited to two guests per bedroom plus two, with a hard cap of eight overnight guests for most properties (especially three bedrooms and up).
- Fees are set annually (recently around $100+ per occupant). Registration is non-transferable on sale.
- Requires DBPR license, Florida Department of Revenue registration, and Manatee County tourist tax account.
Official source: City of Anna Maria Vacation Rentals and Chapter 108.
Holmes Beach
- Vacation Rental Certificate required for all rental properties.
- Minimum stay by zoning:
- R-1 and R-1AA: 30 days (no more than one rental in any 30-day period)
- R-2, R-3, R-4: 7 days
- A-1: daily
- Fees: $545 initial (includes inspections), $545 renewal every two years.
Official source: Holmes Beach Vacation Rental Certificates.
Bradenton Beach
Separate city with its own rules. Verify directly. Recent discussions have involved occupancy formulas around 2/bed +2 with higher caps than Anna Maria.
City of Bradenton
The City of Bradenton is on the mainland. It is not Bradenton Beach. A house inside Bradenton city limits that is rented more than three times in a year for stays under 30 days needs a Certificate of Registration under Ordinance 3093. The city lists a $250 first application and a $150 yearly renewal, plus an inspection. The certificate does not transfer. A new owner has 15 days after closing to get a new one, and a responsible party has to respond within one hour. Confirm the parcel is inside the city before you offer. Source: City of Bradenton Vacation Rentals.
Manatee County tourist tax
13% total (6% tourist development tax + 7% Florida sales/use). The county is not contracted with Airbnb or Vrbo to collect the 6%. Owners remit it directly.
Rules change. Always confirm the exact city, zoning district, and current registration status for the specific parcel before you offer.
Price vs revenue by bedroom (Anna Maria Island)
Anna Maria Island is a high-basis beach market. Overall medians and asking prices routinely run $1M–$3M+. Revenue figures are trailing 12-month averages or medians from AirROI and Rabbu. Yields are gross and exclude operating costs, financing, insurance, and taxes. Barrier-island insurance and flood risk are material.
| Bedrooms | Typical sold price range | AirROI median annual revenue | Rabbu avg annual revenue | Approx. gross yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $600k–$900k | ~$35,200 | ~$55,600 | 4–9% |
| 2 | $800k–$1.3M | ~$44,500 | ~$76,500 | 3–9% |
| 3 | $1.0M–$1.8M | ~$90,800 | ~$129,800 | 5–13% |
| 4 | $1.4M–$2.5M+ | ~$120,000 | ~$201,700 | 5–14% |
| 5+ | $1.8M–$3.5M+ | ~$98,600 | ~$228,600 | 3–13% |
Sources: AirROI bedroom breakdown (12 months to September 2026); Rabbu Anna Maria averages; directional sold-price ranges from recent island market activity. AirDNA reports an overall average near $116–117k with ~66% occupancy and ~$650 ADR. Update both columns monthly from closed sales by bedroom and current data.
Absolute revenue is strong. Gross yields are compressed by high purchase prices. The occupancy cap in the City of Anna Maria (hard 8) and the minimum-stay zones in Holmes Beach further shape what a given bedroom count can actually support.
Seasonality
Anna Maria Island follows a classic Gulf beach pattern: stronger winter and spring demand, softer late summer and early fall. AirDNA reports average occupancy around 66%. Plan for meaningful seasonality and storm-related downtime when modeling cash flow.
Who gets compressed and who gains the advantage
Who gets compressed: Buyers who underwrite unrestricted guest counts that exceed the City of Anna Maria’s 8-guest cap, properties in Holmes Beach R-1 zones that are modeled as weekly rentals, and anyone who ignores the non-transferable nature of registrations.
Who holds the edge: Compliant properties with the right zoning (especially Holmes Beach 7-day or A-1 districts, or Anna Maria properties that stay inside the 8-guest formula), clean registration, and realistic parking. Operators who treat the three different rulebooks as a filter that keeps pure non-compliant supply lower than unrestricted coastal markets.
Due-diligence checklist
- Confirm which city the parcel is in (Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, or Bradenton Beach) via the Manatee County Property Appraiser. The City of Bradenton on the mainland uses its own certificate and is not one of those three.
- Identify the exact zoning district and the minimum stay or occupancy cap that applies.
- Verify current registration or certificate status and any open violations.
- Calculate the real licensed guest count and confirm off-street parking.
- Pull flood zone, elevation, and full insurance quotes that disclose short-term rental use.
- Plan for direct remittance of Manatee tourist tax and model both peak and shoulder months.
Official sources
- City of Anna Maria: Vacation Rentals
- Holmes Beach: Vacation Rental Certificates
- Manatee County Tax Collector: Tourist Tax
- Florida DBPR vacation rental guide
Buying or selling a short-term rental on Anna Maria Island? Send the address through the contact form and I’ll tell you which city’s rules control it and whether the numbers work for your strategy.
Related: Pinellas short-term rental rules · Clearwater STR rules · Troy Nowak agent profile
Educational real estate information, not legal, tax, or insurance advice. City rules, fees, and insurance costs change. Verify the exact parcel with the city, county, state, your insurer, and your association before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
Are short-term rentals allowed in the City of Anna Maria?
The City of Anna Maria requires registration and generally caps overnight occupancy at eight guests. Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach are separate cities on the same island, with their own rules.
Does Holmes Beach use the same minimum stay as Anna Maria?
No. Holmes Beach ties the minimum stay to zoning: 30 days in R-1 and R-1AA, 7 days in R-2, R-3, and R-4, and daily stays in A-1. Manatee County tourist tax is not collected by the platforms.
How do I start a review?
Send the address through the contact form. Review STR Deal