Is Rental Arbitrage Legal in Orlando, FL?
Restricted to hosted home sharing. Under the City of Orlando's home share rules the resident must live on site and be present when hosting, with one booking at a time, stays under 30 days, and no more than half of the dwelling used. Renting an entire unit or property is a violation of the home share category. A tenant can register only with notarized landlord permission. Other lodging types (bed and breakfast, group housing, hotel/motel, commercial dwelling unit) are separate categories that depend on zoning and need a Business Tax Receipt.
Can a renter do rental arbitrage here? Only your own home. Short-term rentals are licensed only in the host's own primary residence, so leasing a separate unit to rent out is not possible.
Requirements
- Home share registration with the City of Orlando: $275 the first year, then $100 a year if owner-occupied or $125 a year if not owner-occupied
- Two forms of proof of residence to show primary residency
- Notarized landlord permission if the host is a tenant
- HOA approval letter if the home is in an HOA
- Registration proof shown in every online advertisement
- State DBPR licence where the rental falls under the Florida vacation rental rules
- Business Tax Receipt for the non-home-share categories
Restrictions
- Host must live on site and be present when guests stay
- One booking at a time; no more than four unrelated persons per booking, or two persons per room, whichever is less
- No more than half of the dwelling unit can be used for home sharing
- Renting an entire unit or property, interior locks or separately kept appliances (group home), and ads without registration proof are violations
- Check that the address is inside Orlando city limits on the Orange County Property Appraiser site; unincorporated Orange County has different rules
- Report violations to Code Enforcement: 407.246.2686
Taxes and Fees
- Florida sales tax on short-term rentals: 6%
- Orange County tourist development tax also applies and is collected through the Orange County Tax Collector; confirm the current rate there
Official permit or registration page
Next Step
Legal is one half of the decision. The other half is whether the deal earns enough to be worth the risk.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Are Orlando's Home-Sharing Rules?
- The owner or tenant must live on site and be present when hosting, with no more than half of the dwelling rented and one booking at a time.
- Can I Rent a Whole Unit in Orlando?
- Only in zoning districts that allow it. Whole-unit short-term rentals are a separate category limited by zoning, and they also need a Florida DBPR license.
- How Much Is Orlando Home-Share Registration?
- $275 the first year.
- Does Orange County Follow the Same Rules?
- No. Unincorporated Orange County has different rules, so confirm the address is inside Orlando city limits.