Short-Term Rentals · Pinellas County
Pinellas County STR Rules — Every City, Mapped.
Most Pinellas cities don't allow nightly stays. Click any city below to see the exact rules, minimum stay, zoning districts, and who to call.
Updated May 2026 · 23 jurisdictions · Rules verified against each city's planning department · Plus the full statewide compliance framework below
Click any city on the map to see the rules
Clearwater
31-day minimum in all residential districts
Full Rule
The City of Clearwater does not allow property owners to lease or rent their property for short-term periods, defined as anything less than 31 days or one calendar month. Applies citywide in residential districts.
Zoning
All residential districts prohibited from STR <31 days
Minimum Stay
31 days
Ordinance Reference
CDC Sections 1-104.B & 3-919
Broker Note
Includes Clearwater Beach unless the property has documented grandfather rights from before the ordinance.
Rules can change — always verify directly with the city contact before writing an offer. Last updated: May 2026.
All Pinellas County jurisdictions (25/25)
Beyond the city map: the statewide compliance framework
The city map above tells you whether your address can legally operate as an STR. The rules below apply to every Pinellas STR regardless of city — these are the Florida statewide and Pinellas County-wide layers that stack on top.
Required licenses & registrations
| Layer | What it is | Cost | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida DBPR Vacation Rental License | State registration via Dept. of Business & Professional Regulation. Required for any property rented 3+ times/yr for <30-day stays. | $50-$200 | Biennial |
| Pinellas County Tourist Development Tax registration | Collect 6% TDT on every booking under 6 months; remit quarterly if >$15K annual revenue. | Free | Ongoing remittance |
| Florida Dept. of Revenue (sales tax) | Collect 7% state sales tax (6% state + 1% local surtax) on every booking. | Free | Monthly/quarterly filings |
| City business tax receipt | Local business license — issued by the city where the STR sits. | $50-$200 | Annual |
| Unincorporated Pinellas Certificate of Use (COU) | Required for STRs in unincorporated areas. Application by May 31 each year. | $450 + $150 inspection | Annual renewal |
| City STR license (St. Pete / Clearwater) | Where applicable, separate from business tax receipt. | $250-$300 + $150 inspection | $150-$200/yr |
| Annual beach-community STR license | Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach, Treasure Island, others — annual licensing. | $200-$400 | Annual |
Total first-year regulatory cost on a typical unincorporated Pinellas STR runs $900-$1,400. City STRs typically run $650-$1,000. Beach community STRs run $450-$800.
Operational rules — apply nearly everywhere
Occupancy limits
Maximum 2 guests per bedroom + 2 in common area, total cap of 10. Same formula in unincorporated Pinellas, St. Pete, Clearwater, and most beach communities. Exceeding triggers fines up to $300/day.
Parking minimums
1 off-street space per 3 occupants (rounded up). Front-lawn parking is not allowed. Some cities (Tarpon Springs, Largo) require 1 space per bedroom instead.
Quiet hours
10:00 PM - 7:00 AM (some cities 9:00 AM end time). Noise complaints during quiet hours draw fines and escalate scrutiny on renewal.
$1M commercial liability insurance
Required across most Pinellas jurisdictions. Unincorporated Pinellas must be named as additional insured. Standard homeowners policies exclude STR use — you need a DP-3 landlord policy with STR endorsement + the $1M+ liability layer.
Designated responsible party
24/7 designated party required to respond to issues within 2 hours (Largo, IRB) or similar windows elsewhere. Must be local to Pinellas County or able to dispatch local response.
License number in all advertising
STR license number / COU number must appear in every listing on every platform (Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, direct booking site). Failing to display draws fines and platform listing removal.
Density limit (St. Pete only)
St. Petersburg caps STRs at 10% of homes per block. New permits in oversaturated blocks are denied. Check the city map before underwriting a St. Pete deal.
Annual / biennial life-safety inspections
Smoke detectors, CO detectors, egress, fire extinguishers, electrical, plumbing. Unincorporated Pinellas: biennial. Largo, IRB, beach communities: annual. $100-$150 per inspection.
The 9-step compliance workflow (in order)
- 1Register with Florida DBPR. Apply for the vacation rental license at myfloridalicense.com. 1-2 week turnaround.
- 2Verify city zoning permits STR. Use the dashboard above. Confirm with the city contact in writing.
- 3Apply for the city STR license + business tax receipt. If unincorporated, apply for Certificate of Use (deadline May 31 each year).
- 4Schedule and pass life-safety inspection. Smoke detectors, CO, egress, fire extinguishers, electrical. $100-$150 fee.
- 5Bind insurance. DP-3 landlord policy + STR endorsement + $1M+ commercial liability. Name the county as additional insured if unincorporated.
- 6Register for taxes. Florida Dept. of Revenue (sales tax) + Pinellas County (tourist development tax). 13% combined pass-through to guests.
- 7Post house rules + emergency contacts on-site. Required by most cities. Include occupancy limit, parking map, quiet hours, trash pickup, responsible party contact.
- 8Display license number in every listing. Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com, direct booking site. Some platforms have a dedicated field; others require it in the description.
- 9Calendar renewals. COU annual by May 31. City license annual. DBPR biennial. Insurance annual. Re-inspection every 1-2 years.
Common violations that get operators in trouble
- Operating without a valid license or COU — $500/day fines, license revocation possible.
- Exceeding occupancy limits — fines up to $300/day per violation.
- Front-lawn parking — citations and tow risk; many cities specifically prohibit this.
- Failure to pass life-safety inspection — re-inspection fees, temporary license suspension until passed.
- Late tax remittance — penalties + interest on TDT and sales tax. State audit triggers are common after 2-3 missed quarters.
- Quiet hour noise complaints — fines + escalated scrutiny on next renewal; some cities revoke license after 3 verified complaints in 12 months.
- License number missing from listings — platform removes the listing on some platforms; city fine on operator.
- Operating with homestead exemption claimed — fraud risk, reported to Property Appraiser, exemption clawed back with interest.
Why the city matters more than the price
An STR pro forma that looks great on the spreadsheet can be illegal on the deed. Pinellas County has 23 separate jurisdictions, and each one writes its own short-term rental ordinance. The same waterfront 3BR can be a $90K/year STR in Indian Rocks Beach or an uninsurable 31-day-minimum rental in Clearwater two miles up the same road.
The map at the top of this page tracks which Pinellas cities permit nightly stays, which restrict to specific zoning districts only, which require 30/90/180-day minimums, and which prohibit short-term rentals entirely. Every entry includes the direct city contact — the person you actually need to call before writing an offer.
Related reading from this site
- Are Short-Term Rentals Allowed in Clearwater, FL? 2026 Zoning Guide — deep dive on Clearwater specifically
- Where You Can Legally Run a Short-Term Rental in St. Petersburg & Gulfport
- Florida Home Insurance Crisis 2026: Buyer's Survival Guide — STR insurance reality
- Pinellas County Flood Zones 2026 Guide — most STR-friendly beach communities are in flood zone AE or VE
- Tampa Bay STR Bonus Depreciation Guide 2026 — tax strategy for serious investors
Considering a Pinellas STR purchase?
Free 15-minute consultation with Troy. We'll walk through the specific parcel, confirm zoning eligibility with the city, model realistic revenue, and identify the insurance + financing reality before you write an offer.