Last verified: November 4, 2026
Quick answer: Yes, you can still run an Airbnb in Largo. The city allows short-term rentals in residential land use under Section 15.18 of its Comprehensive Development Code. What changed is paperwork: under Ordinance 2026-33, adopted in October 2026, every short-term rental has to register with the city each year, pass two inspections and pay a $600 fee. The city says registration rolls out in November 2026, and the full program starts January 1, 2027.
I'm Troy Nowak, Broker of Mangrove Bay Realty (BK3436609). Below is how I'd read these rules if you own a Largo rental now or you're about to buy one.
For how Largo compares with the rest of the county, see the Pinellas County short-term rental guide.
Review STR Deal: Send me the address and asking price and I'll check which rules control that parcel before you make an offer.
What counts as a short-term rental in Largo
The city's definition is the part most owners skip. Per the City of Largo short-term rental page, a single-family home, duplex, triplex or fourplex is a short-term rental if it's rented to guests more than three times per calendar year for periods of 30 days or less.
That gives you two ways to sit outside the program:
- Three or fewer short stays a year. A home rented for a stay of 30 days or less only once, twice or three times in a calendar year doesn't meet the definition.
- Every stay longer than 30 days. Note the wording: a 30-night stay is still "30 days or less." If you're switching to monthly guests, write the leases for more than 30 days.
Can I switch my Largo Airbnb to 30+ day rentals to skip the new rules?
You can, as long as the stays actually run longer than 30 days and your calendar shows it. Once the property is no longer rented more than three times a year for 30 days or less, it falls outside the city's definition, so the registration and inspection program shouldn't apply to it.
Before you switch, think through a few things:
- Your listing has to match. Set the minimum stay above 30 nights on every platform. A listing that still takes weekend bookings is a short-term rental no matter what you meant to do.
- Taxes don't go away at 31 nights. Per the Pinellas County Tax Collector, Pinellas County, and Florida DOR, stays of six months or less owe a combined 13% tax: 6% Florida state sales tax, 1% county discretionary sales surtax, and 6% tourist development tax (DR-15TDT and DR-15DSS for 2026). Ask your CPA before you close any tax account.
- State licensing is a separate test. Whether you still need a Florida DBPR lodging license depends on the state's definitions, not Largo's. Confirm with DBPR's Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
- Your HOA, condo docs and insurance still rule. The city says its program doesn't replace HOA, POA or deed restrictions, and your insurer needs to know how the home is used.
Switching is a business decision, not just a compliance one. Monthly guests mean fewer turnovers but a very different income and cost picture. Run both versions before you change the listing.
How do I prove prior short-term rental use in Largo?
In some Pinellas cities, prior use matters because older rentals are grandfathered. Largo works differently. The city already permits short-term rentals in residential land use, and the new program applies to every short-term rental, old or new. You don't need to prove you were operating before a cutoff date to keep renting. You need to register.
What you will need is the paperwork the registration asks for. Per WUSF's October 8, 2026 report on the ordinance, owners have to provide:
- their state lodging license
- a statement that required taxes are being collected and sent in
- the maximum occupancy and bedroom count
- contact information for the responsible party
- a parking plan
If you own three rentals that are mostly 30-day stays, sort them by how they actually book. Any home with more than three stays of 30 days or less in a calendar year needs to register. Keep booking records, tax filings and leases organized by property, so you can show which homes are in the program and which are monthly rentals.
The rules every registered Largo rental has to meet
From the city's summary and Section 15.18:
- Registration: $600 for the first registration and $600 at each annual renewal (city fee schedule amendment, agenda memo 26-347).
- Two inspections, in order: a compliance inspection by Community Standards, then a life safety inspection by Largo Fire Rescue. The city lists the annual high-hazard fire inspection at $100.
- Occupancy: no more than 1 guest per 150 gross square feet of air-conditioned living space.
- Parking: 1 off-street space per 3 guests. Street parking doesn't count. An open garage made available to guests can.
- Responsible party: someone available 24/7 who can get to the property within two hours if a problem can't be solved by phone, with the name and phone number posted outside or enrolled in the city's alarm decal system.
- Safety items: fire extinguishers on each floor, the city's guest information posting inside each unit, and pool barrier rules if there's a pool, spa or hot tub.
Largo also adopted a chronic nuisance ordinance for all properties. Repeat noise, parking or party problems can lead to an abatement plan and a special magistrate hearing.
Why larger Largo homes can still make sense
Unincorporated Pinellas caps short-term rentals at a hard guest number. Largo ties occupancy to air-conditioned square footage, so a bigger home can legally host a bigger group, as long as the parking math works too. That's the main reason I still look at Largo for group-stay buyers. Divide the conditioned square footage by 150, count the real off-street spaces, and use whichever number is lower.
Buyer checklist for a Largo short-term rental
- Confirm the parcel is inside Largo city limits on the Pinellas County Property Appraiser site. A Largo mailing address doesn't mean city limits.
- Do the occupancy math: conditioned square feet divided by 150.
- Count off-street parking: 1 space per 3 guests.
- Ask the seller for the city registration, inspection history and booking records. Plan to register in your own name after closing.
- Check the DBPR license, tax accounts and any HOA or condo limits on rentals.
- Model the nightly plan and a monthly plan, and get written insurance quotes that disclose the rental use.
Want a second opinion on a Largo property? Reach me through the contact form.
How I work with short-term rental buyers and sellers across Pinellas and Tampa: Tampa Bay STR realtor.
Official sources
- City of Largo: Short-Term Vacation Rentals
- Largo Ordinance No. 2026-33 (Municode)
- Largo agenda memo 26-347: registration fee
- WUSF, October 8, 2026: Largo moves to rein in problem vacation rentals
- Pinellas County STR Certificate of Use (unincorporated areas)
Related: Short-term rentals in Pinellas · Tampa Bay STR realtor · Unincorporated Pinellas Airbnb rules · Financing a short-term rental in Pinellas · Investor guide · Troy Nowak
Compare nearby beach towns on the Indian Shores short-term rental page.
For a barrier-island comparison, see Treasure Island short-term rentals.
North county is a different rulebook; start with Tarpon Springs short-term rentals.
Along the Gulf, also see Indian Rocks Beach short-term rentals.
Educational real estate information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. City, county and state rules and fees 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 Largo?
Yes. Largo allows them in residential land use under Section 15.18. Starting with the new program, each one has to register every year, pass a Community Standards inspection and a fire inspection, and pay a $600 fee.
If I only rent for more than 30 days, do I need to register?
Under the city's definition, a home is a short-term rental when it's rented more than three times a calendar year for 30 days or less. If every stay runs longer than 30 days, the home doesn't meet that definition. Keep your listing minimums and leases consistent with that.
Do I have to prove my Largo rental existed before the new rules?
No grandfathering test applies in Largo, because the city already allows short-term rentals. Existing and new rentals both register. Keep your state license, tax filings and booking records ready for the application.
Does the registration transfer when I sell?
Plan on the buyer registering in their own name. Confirm the current transfer rules with Largo Community Standards before closing.
How do I start a review?
Send me the address through the contact form. Review STR Deal
Also see: Florida STR rule changes 2025-2026 · Florida STR occupancy caps.