Sell a Pinellas short-term rental
Sell your Pinellas short-term rental
A short-term rental sells on two things a buyer can check: the rule for that exact parcel and the booking records you hand over. I'm Troy Nowak, Broker of Mangrove Bay Realty (BK3436609). I've sold 300+ investment properties in Pinellas, St. Pete, Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach, Largo, Bradenton and Tampa in the last five years, I own and manage six short-term and furnished rentals, and I'm an Airbnb Superhost. Send the address through the contact form and I'll tell you how a buyer will price it.
What it means
Why an STR seller needs a broker who knows the rules
The first question from almost every short-term rental buyer is the same: can I keep renting it the way you do? In Pinellas the answer changes at the city line. Indian Rocks Beach allows vacation rentals in its S, RM-1, RM-2 and CT districts with a city registration. St. Petersburg allows residential stays under 30 days only three times in any consecutive 365 days. Clearwater requires at least 31 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, in residential districts. Dunedin allows stays under 90 days only in certain commercial and mixed-use districts.
A listing that just says "Airbnb friendly" invites buyers to discount the price until they can prove it. A listing that names the zoning district, the registration, the rule source and the real booking history lets a buyer underwrite it on day one. That file is the work we do before your property goes live.
| Factor | What it means | Check before offer |
|---|---|---|
| Legal stay for the parcel | A buyer pays for the income the current rule allows, not for income from a use that is no longer legal. | Confirm the jurisdiction on the Property Appraiser record and the zoning district, and attach the official rule source to the listing. |
| Booking history | Revenue a buyer can verify supports the price. Projections and screenshots do not. | Export 12 to 24 months of platform payout reports and direct-booking records, and match them to your tourist tax filings. |
| State license | The Florida DBPR vacation rental license does not transfer. The buyer files a change of ownership application in their own name. | Have your DBPR license number, city or county registration, and recent inspection results ready for the buyer. |
| Taxes | Pinellas stays of six months or less carry 13%: 6% state sales tax, 1% county surtax and 6% tourist development tax. | Show which bookings the platform collected tax on and which direct bookings you remitted yourself. |
| Future bookings | Guests booked after closing are a contract term, not an afterthought. | List every booking after the closing date with dates, payout and deposit. Agree in the contract which ones the buyer honors and how the money is credited at closing. |
| Furnishings and supplies | A turnkey sale works when the buyer knows exactly what stays. | Write an inventory of furniture, linens, smart locks and supplies and put it in the contract or a bill of sale. |
| Condo or HOA rules | Under Florida law a condo buyer can lose rental rights the seller kept, and an HOA can limit short stays for every owner. | Pull the declaration, rules and every recorded amendment, plus any rental amendment on the next meeting agenda. |
Rules and risk
The rules disclosure buyers ask for
Buyers and their lenders ask for proof, not a summary. Put these in one file before you list: the parcel's jurisdiction and zoning district, the city or county registration and its renewal date, the DBPR vacation rental license, the state sales tax and Pinellas tourist tax account details, recent inspection results, and the condo or HOA documents.
Associations matter as much as the city. Under section 718.110(13), Florida Statutes, a condo amendment that bans or limits rentals applies to owners who take title after it passes, so your buyer may not keep the rights you had. Under section 720.306(1)(h), an HOA can regulate rentals shorter than six months, or bar renting a parcel more than three times a year, for every owner.
If your parcel cannot rent nightly under the current rule, say so up front and price it for the use that is allowed. Furnished stays of 31 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, in Clearwater residential districts, stays under 30 days only up to three times in any consecutive 365-day period (or 30 days or longer) in St. Pete, or 90 days or longer in most of Dunedin, are legal uses with their own buyers.
Rules and fees change. We confirm the current version with the city or county before your listing goes live, and we link the official sources below.
Official sources
- City of Indian Rocks Beach: Vacation Rental Information
- City of St. Petersburg Code Sec. 16.90.020.3: transient accommodation uses
- City of Clearwater Community Development Code Sec. 3-919
- City of Dunedin Land Development Code Sec. 103-14.7: short-term vacation rentals
- Florida DBPR: lodging licenses are not transferable; buyers file a change of ownership application
- Florida DBPR: Vacation Rental Dwelling license, new and change of ownership
- Section 718.110(13), Florida Statutes: condo rental amendments
- Section 720.306(1)(h), Florida Statutes: HOA rental amendments
- Pinellas County Tax Collector: tourist development taxes
- Florida DOR DR-15TDT: local transient rental tax rates
- Florida DOR DR-15DSS 2026: discretionary sales surtax rates
- Pinellas County Property Appraiser: parcel jurisdiction lookup
Selling an Airbnb in Pinellas: what to prepare
The records buyers ask for, step by step.
What transfers at closing
The buyer side of the same deal, so you know what they will ask.
Pinellas STR rules by city
Check the rule that applies to your address.
Check STR rules for one address
A quick screen before you send the address through the contact form.
Pinellas Airbnb taxes
The tax accounts a buyer will open and the records they will want.
Indian Rocks Beach: buy or sell
Registration, guest caps and parking for an IRB rental.
Ask for a pricing read
Send the address and what you want to net.
Quick answers
What buyers ask before writing on an Airbnb property
Who can help me sell a short-term rental in Pinellas County?
Mangrove Bay Realty. The broker (FL license BK3436609) has sold 300+ investment properties in Pinellas, St. Pete, Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach, Largo, Bradenton and Tampa in the last five years, owns and manages six short-term and furnished rentals, is an Airbnb Superhost, and has a 5.0 rating across 56 Google reviews. Start with the contact form.
How is a short-term rental priced?
On comparable sales first, then on the income a buyer can legally keep and verify. A buyer will not pay for nightly income the parcel cannot legally earn, so we price for the use the property actually has and back the income with payout reports and tax filings.
Does my DBPR vacation rental license transfer to the buyer?
No. Florida DBPR lodging licenses are not transferable. The buyer applies for a license in their own name with a change of ownership application before operating.
What happens to bookings after closing?
The contract should say. List each booking after the closing date with its dates, payout and deposit, agree which ones the buyer honors, and credit the money at closing. Ask your title company how it will show those credits.
Should I sell it furnished?
Often, when the buyer plans to keep renting. Put a written inventory in the contract or a bill of sale so both sides know what stays, and ask your title company and the buyer's lender how personal property is handled.
My property can only rent for 30 days or longer. Can I still sell it as a rental?
Yes. Price and market it for the use that is allowed, such as a furnished stay of 31 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, in Clearwater residential districts, or under the St. Pete handout (less than 30 days up to three times in 365 days, or 30 days or longer), or 90 days or more in most of Dunedin. Show the lease history and the furnishings.
Seller pricing read
Thinking about selling your short-term rental?
Send the address. We check the rule for that parcel, the records a buyer will ask for, and how comparable rentals sold.
Troy owns and manages short-term and furnished rentals in Pinellas County.
Send the address - short form
Free Airbnb property check
Ask for a property read before you write.
We check city rules, zoning, flood, insurance pressure, rental math, and resale exit before you spend inspection money.
Direct Broker Due Diligence
Send Troy the address or MLS listing.
Troy owns and manages six short-term and furnished rentals and has sold 300+ investment properties in Pinellas, St. Pete, Clearwater, Indian Rocks Beach, Largo, Bradenton and Tampa in the last five years. Send the address you are evaluating for a straightforward read on municipal zoning rules and realistic revenue potential before you tour or make an offer.