Questions this page answers
- 1.What does Madeira Beach allow for short-term rentals?
- 2.Which zoning districts allow nightly rentals in Madeira Beach?
- 3.How do you find the minimum stay for one address?
- 4.Why can Madeira Beach set minimum stays?
- 5.What city license and inspections apply?
- 6.How is Madeira Beach enforcing its rental rules in 2026?
- 7.What can a condo association restrict?
- 8.Which state and county rules also apply?
…and 3 more sections below.
Can you Airbnb a home or condo in Madeira Beach, Florida? Only in some zones. City code bans rentals shorter than six months in the R-1 single-family district and rentals shorter than three months in the R-2 low density multifamily district. The R-3 district lists vacation rental as a permitted use.
Two houses a block apart can sit in different districts and follow different rules, so check the parcel before you write an offer.
I'm a broker and an Airbnb Superhost, and I own and manage short-term and furnished rentals. Madeira Beach writes its own code. Rules from Treasure Island to the south or the Redington towns to the north do not carry over.
What this covers
- What does Madeira Beach allow for short-term rentals?
- Which zoning districts allow nightly rentals in Madeira Beach?
- How do you find the minimum stay for one address?
- Why can Madeira Beach set minimum stays?
- What city license and inspections apply?
- How is Madeira Beach enforcing its rental rules in 2026?
- What can a condo association restrict?
- Which state and county rules also apply?
- How much tourist demand does Madeira Beach have?
- What should a buyer check before buying a Madeira Beach rental?
What does Madeira Beach allow for short-term rentals?
Madeira Beach allows nightly and weekly rentals in some districts and bans them in others. The ban is written into the zoning code, district by district.
In R-1, Section 110-176 says prohibited uses "include, but are not limited to, short term rentals of a housing unit." For that district, a short-term rental means "any rental of a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, for less than a six-month period" (Section 110-176, in the city's April 6, 2026 special magistrate agenda packet).
R-2 uses the same words with a shorter line. Section 110-201 defines a short-term rental there as a rental "for less than a three-month period" (Ordinance 2018-07, which restates Section 110-201; the same text is quoted in a 2026 city code case).
R-3 is different. Section 110-226 says the district "provides for medium density development for residential, vacation rental, and temporary lodging facilities." Section 110-227 lists vacation rental and temporary lodging as permitted uses (R-3 code text, city commission agenda attachment).
Which zoning districts allow nightly rentals in Madeira Beach?
The city's zoning map, dated August 20, 2026, shows eight districts (City of Madeira Beach zoning map). I read the code for three of them. For the rest, ask the city before you rely on a nightly plan.
| District | What the city code says about short stays | What it means for a buyer |
|---|---|---|
| R-1, Single-Family Residential | Rentals under six months are a prohibited use (Sec. 110-176) | No nightly, weekly or seasonal rentals |
| R-2, Low Density Multifamily Residential | Rentals under three months are a prohibited use (Sec. 110-201) | Three months or longer only |
| R-3, Medium Density Multifamily Residential | Vacation rental and temporary lodging are permitted uses (Sec. 110-227) | Nightly rentals can work, subject to the license, tax and building rules below |
| C-1, C-3, C-4, PD and P-SP | I did not verify these districts | Get the city's answer in writing |
The city also posts a color map called the Madeira Beach Minimal Rental Period Map. Its legend has four labels: Nightly, 3 Months, 6 Months and NA (Vacation Rental Restriction Map, posted August 24, 2021). On that map, most of the Gulf side along Gulf Boulevard is marked Nightly. Many bayside streets and the finger islands are marked 3 Months or 6 Months.
The map is from 2021 and the zoning map is from 2026. If they ever disagree, the code and the city's written answer win.
How do you find the minimum stay for one address?
Start with the parcel, not the listing. A listing described as vacation-rental-friendly does not establish that short stays are permitted on that parcel.
- Pull the property record. The Pinellas County Property Appraiser record confirms the parcel and that it sits inside the city of Madeira Beach.
- Check the zoning. The city's zoning and rental restrictions interactive map and the August 2026 zoning map show the district.
- Match the district to the code. Use the table above for R-1, R-2 and R-3.
- Ask the city in writing. Email Community Development with the address and ask what minimum rental period applies. Keep the reply in your closing file.
Do this before your inspection period ends. A house in R-1 can still be rented for six months or longer, so plan the numbers for that term.
Why can Madeira Beach set minimum stays?
Florida law generally stops cities from doing this. Under Section 509.032(7)(b), cities and counties cannot ban vacation rentals or "regulate the duration or frequency" of them. The same paragraph carves out local rules adopted on or before June 1, 2011 (Fla. Stat. 509.032).
The history notes in the R-1 and R-2 sections cite Ordinance 1069, dated February 28, 2006. That date is before the 2011 cutoff. Both lines are still in the code today. Whether a given rule is protected is a legal question for an attorney. For a buyer, the practical point is to assume the city will enforce what its code says.
Treasure Island, the next city south, also sorts rentals by zone. Its zone table is in our Treasure Island Airbnb rules guide.
What city license and inspections apply?
Every rental needs a city Business Tax Receipt (BTR). The city's Business License FAQ says every business operating in Madeira Beach must hold one under Chapter 62, Article II of the code. You apply through the city's MGO permit portal (Madeira Beach Business License FAQs).
The same FAQ answers rental questions directly:
- The property owner is the licensee. A property manager goes in a separate section of the form.
- Short-term vacation rentals must give the city a local contact. The FAQ says this can be a property management company or someone you know in the Tampa Bay area.
- Short-term vacation rentals need an annual fire inspection.
- Three-month and six-month rentals count as long-term rentals. They get a biennial inspection and must also hold a BTR.
- BTRs renew each year. They expire September 30, and the new year starts October 1.
The FAQ links a city fire safety sheet for short-term rentals (Fire Safety Requirements for Short-Term Rentals). It lists smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside sleeping areas and on each level. It also calls for carbon monoxide alarms near bedrooms, one 2A:10B:C fire extinguisher per floor and a posted floor diagram showing the exits. Guests must get a fire safety pamphlet, and occupancy is capped at one person per 150 square feet. Hardwired alarms need a building permit.
For the long-term side, the city posts its rental license rules for properties with one to four units (Rental Inspection, Code of Ordinances). That posted copy lists a $40 application fee, a $50 initial inspection fee per unit, a $15 biennial renewal fee and a $70 biennial inspection fee per unit. The division covers rentals of more than 30 days. It does not cover transient stays under 30 days. The posted copy dates from 2015, so confirm current fees with the city.
How is Madeira Beach enforcing its rental rules in 2026?
Short-term rental cases reached the city's special magistrate in 2026. Code enforcement in Madeira Beach is done by Community Policing deputies under contract from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. The city lists short-term rentals among the rules they enforce (Madeira Beach Code Enforcement).
The city's 2026 special magistrate packets show how a case builds. In one, a deputy inspected an R-2 condo unit after a May 2026 complaint and recorded an eight-night stay as a violation of the three-month minimum. The notice told the owners to stop short-term rental activity, apply for a business tax receipt and get a rental inspection. The deputy later found the unit still listed on Airbnb and Booking.com, and the case was set for a special magistrate hearing in August 2026 (special magistrate agenda attachment).
Another 2026 case paired an R-2 rental with no BTR with unpermitted remodeling after flooding. The corrective action asked for an after-the-fact building permit and a BTR "to rent at allowable term" (special magistrate agenda attachment).
Fines can add up. The city's hearing notices say the special magistrate can levy up to $250 a day for a first violation and $500 a day for a repeat violation (April 6, 2026 special magistrate agenda). Those caps match Section 162.09 of Florida law (Fla. Stat. 162.09).
On an R-1 or R-2 house, a seller's record of short stays is a warning sign. Ask whether the city has opened a code case. The city's code enforcement page explains how to search a property for open cases in the MGO portal.
What can a condo association restrict?
Even in R-3, a condo declaration can set minimum stays, cap leases per year, require tenant approval or ban short stays. The state limit in section 509.032 applies to local governments. It does not apply to your association.
Watch for one trap when you buy. Section 718.110(13) says a new amendment that limits rentals binds only the owners who agree to it and anyone who takes title later (Fla. Stat. 718.110). If the seller voted no on a rental cap, that vote does not protect you. You take the unit as a new owner, and the cap applies to you.
Ask for the declaration as recorded, all amendments and the rules the board enforces now. A Florida real estate attorney should read the rental sections for you.
Which state and county rules also apply?
On top of the city rules, Florida and Pinellas County each take a piece. You need a state license, and guests pay 13% in combined sales tax, county surtax and tourist tax on stays of six months or less.
Florida DBPR issues the license. Its guide says an owner needs one when a whole unit is rented more than three times in a calendar year for stays under 30 days or one calendar month (whichever is less), or when the unit is advertised as regularly rented (DBPR vacation rental guide, Fla. Stat. 509.242).
For one unit, a new license costs $230 for a full year: the $50 application fee, the $10 Hospitality Education Program fee and the $170 license fee. A half-year license is $90 plus the same two fees. Pinellas sits in DBPR District 3, which renews every February 1. The half-year fee applies from August 1.
| Rule | Set by | What it means in Madeira Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum rental period | City zoning code | Six months in R-1, three months in R-2, vacation rental permitted in R-3 |
| Business Tax Receipt | City of Madeira Beach | Needed for every rental; renews by September 30 |
| Fire inspection | City | Yearly for short-term vacation rentals |
| Vacation rental license | Florida DBPR | Needed past three short rentals a year, or if held out as regularly rented |
| Sales tax and surtax | Florida (6%) and Pinellas surtax (1%) | 7% unless a bona fide written lease runs longer than six months |
| Tourist development tax | Pinellas County | 6% on stays of six months or less |
Where the tax numbers come from: Florida's 6% rate and the over-six-months lease exemption are in Fla. Stat. 212.03. The Department of Revenue's 2026 DR-15DSS lists the Pinellas 1% surtax with an end date of December 31, 2029. Pinellas County describes its 6% bed tax on its tourist development tax page.
Some platforms pay the county tax for you. The Tax Collector lists Airbnb as collecting it for bookings made since December 1, 2015, and HomeAway and VRBO since October 1, 2018. It also tells owners to verify this, because the owner pays when a platform does not (Pinellas County Tax Collector). Our Pinellas County Airbnb taxes guide covers the accounts.
A three-month rental in R-2 falls under the six-month line, so the 13% still applies unless the lease runs longer than six months.
How much tourist demand does Madeira Beach have?
From February through July 2026, the Pinellas County Tax Collector reports Madeira Beach tourist tax of $121,562.61 to $224,602.71 a month. March was the peak.
| 2026 | Madeira Beach tourist tax collected |
|---|---|
| February | $152,798.95 |
| March | $224,602.71 |
| April | $147,370.04 |
| May | $122,058.22 |
| June | $127,895.76 |
| July | $121,562.61 |
The figures come from the Tax Collector's monthly report by city. They count every taxable stay in town, hotels and motels included. Read them as a guide to the seasons. They will not tell you what one condo earns. Our Pinellas STR revenue and inventory data has the county-wide picture.
What should a buyer check before buying a Madeira Beach rental?
Start with the zone, then the paperwork, then the building. In Madeira Beach the zone is the first thing that can kill a deal.
- Confirm the city and the district. Use the property appraiser record and the city's zoning map. Then get the city's written answer on the minimum rental period.
- Match your plan to the district. Nightly plans belong in R-3 or a district the city confirms. In R-2, model three-month rentals. In R-1, model six-month or annual leases.
- Search for code cases. Ask the seller, and search the address in the city's MGO portal for open or past cases.
- Check permits for storm repairs. One 2026 city case involved remodeling after hurricane flooding with no permit. Ask for permits on any repair work and look for open permits before you close.
- Get the condo documents. Read the declaration, every amendment and the rental rules. Ask about amendments in progress.
- Check the seller's accounts. DBPR's license search shows licensed units. Ask for the BTR, the fire inspection record and the tourist tax account. Our guide to what transfers when you buy an operating Airbnb explains which accounts carry over.
- Price flood and insurance. Get the elevation certificate and a written quote. Our Pinellas County flood zone guide explains how to read them.
Other beach towns set different rules. Indian Shores says it has no town rental restrictions, so condo documents decide. St. Pete Beach limits short stays by district. The short-term rentals page compares rules across Pinellas.
Sources
I opened every source below on November 7, 2026.
- City of Madeira Beach: Business License FAQs, Code Enforcement, zoning and rental restrictions interactive map, zoning map, August 20, 2026 and Minimal Rental Period Map
- City code text: Section 110-176 (R-1), Ordinance 2018-07 with Section 110-201 (R-2), Sections 110-226 and 110-227 (R-3) and the rental license division
- City fire sheet: Fire Safety Requirements for Short-Term Rentals
- Special magistrate packets, 2026: code case on an R-2 complex and code case on an R-2 home
- Fla. Stat. 509.032, 509.242, 718.110, 212.03 and 162.09, 2026 editions
- DR-15DSS surtax rates for 2026, Florida Department of Revenue
- DBPR vacation rental licensing guide and DBPR Hotels and Restaurants
- Pinellas tourist development tax, Pinellas County
- Tourist tax collections and platform rules, Pinellas County Tax Collector
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser
This article is general education about buying real estate in Madeira Beach. It is not legal, tax or insurance advice. Zoning, license rules, tax rates and association rules change. Ask the City of Madeira Beach, DBPR, the Tax Collector, the condo association and your own attorney or CPA to confirm the rules for a specific address. Checked November 7, 2026.
Cover photo: Sunset on John's Pass, Madeira Beach, Florida by Richard Mc Neil, under a CC BY 3.0 license. We cropped and resized it.