STR permit & zoning consult
Buying or selling a St. Pete or Gulfport home to run as an Airbnb?
Send me the address and I'll tell you what the zoning and permit rules allow before you write an offer.
Troy owns and manages short-term and furnished rentals in Pinellas County.
Send the address — short form
Last verified: October 10, 2026.
I’m Troy Nowak, Florida broker BK3436609, Superhost, and property manager. I own and operate short-term and furnished rentals in Pinellas, and I help investors buy the ones that actually work. This is the complete, no-BS guide to short-term rentals in St. Petersburg and nearby areas that people search as "St. Pete."
Most buyers look at Airbnb and see daily stays listed in St. Pete and think it’s wide open. It is not. On residential property inside the city limits, a stay under 30 days is allowed only three times in any consecutive 365-day period. After that it becomes transient accommodation and needs hotel/motel licensing or an overlay that doesn’t exist yet. People are still listing daily stays. Some are breaking the rule. Enforcement is complaint-driven.
In 2024 one resident, Marley Price, filed more than 100 SeeClickFix reports. Of the 108 cases, 88 resulted in violation notices. She had no special title — she just started checking listings and reporting. That is the current reality. The city tracks complaints and issues notices. Fines are possible if you ignore them.
Source: City of St. Petersburg Transient Accommodation Uses handout (updated October 16, 2023). Same limit appears on the city’s ADU page. Last verified October 10, 2026.
A St. Petersburg mailing address does not mean the parcel is inside the city. Always confirm jurisdiction first.
Where nightly still works near St. Pete
These are the practical places investors look when they want real short-stay income instead of the 3-cap residential rule:
| Area | Practical nightly posture | Notes for buyers |
|---|---|---|
| City of St. Petersburg (most residential) | 3 under-30-day stays per 365 days | Base case is 30+ day furnished. Confirm last 365 days of activity if already operating. |
| Unincorporated Pinellas (Bear Creek, Lealman, etc.) | County Certificate of Use path | $450/year COU, occupancy and parking rules. Not city 3-cap. Verify parcel is truly unincorporated. |
| Pinellas Park | Often more flexible residential | Different rules; some areas support more frequent short stays. Address-level check required. |
| Gulfport | Temporary/tourist lodging only where zoning lists it | More than 3 under-30-day stays in 12 months changes the use. Confirm district with city staff. |
| Treasure Island / pockets | Restricted but some tourist zones | Not unlimited. Zoning and licensing matter. |
| Clearwater / Clearwater Beach | 31-day minimum in many residential; tourist areas different | Separate page. Nightly possible in specific zones. |
Unincorporated Pinellas is the one people miss. If the parcel is outside city limits, you are on the county STR Certificate of Use path instead of the city’s 3-stay residential rule. I always pull the property appraiser and zoning map before I run numbers.
How I screen an address before you offer
- Confirm jurisdiction (city vs unincorporated) and zoning district.
- Count any existing short stays in the last 365 days if it is already rented.
- Read HOA/condo documents — they can be stricter than the city.
- Flood zone, insurance underwriting once rental use is disclosed, and parking.
- Realistic net after rules, cleaning, taxes, and occupancy. No guarantees.
I have YouTube videos walking through real examples. Search Troy Nowak Airbnb on YouTube or start with the ones linked from my channel.
Airbnb still shows daily stays
Yes. Search St. Petersburg on Airbnb and you will see plenty of nightly or 2-night minimum listings. Some are legal (hotel-style, commercial zones, or the three allowed short stays). Many are not. Listings do not equal legality. That is why I always verify the parcel before anyone underwrites income.
FAQs
Can you legally run a nightly Airbnb in most of St. Petersburg?
No. Residential property is limited to three stays under 30 days in any consecutive 365-day period unless it is a licensed hotel/motel or an approved overlay (none applied per the 2023 handout).
Does a St. Pete mailing address mean city rules apply?
No. Confirm the parcel. Unincorporated pockets follow county rules.
What about Gulfport?
Temporary or tourist lodging when you exceed three under-one-month stays in 12 months. Allowed only where the zoning district lists the use.
Who should I talk to before I buy?
Me. Send the address and I will review jurisdiction, zoning, flood, and the real numbers before you write an offer.
About the Author
Troy Nowak is a Florida real estate broker (BK3436609) and the owner of Mangrove Bay Realty. He is an Airbnb Superhost and property manager who focuses on short-term rental properties in St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. He buys, sells, and manages these properties himself and helps investors do the same with accurate, address-level checks instead of listing-site assumptions.
Call (727) 404-5530 or send the address for a free STR feasibility check.
STR permit & zoning consult
Buying or selling a St. Pete or Gulfport home to run as an Airbnb?
Send me the address and I'll tell you what the zoning and permit rules allow before you write an offer.
Troy owns and manages short-term and furnished rentals in Pinellas County.
Send the address — short form