Short Term Rental Information
In the state of Florida, any overnight rental that is less than six months in duration is considered a short-term rental (STR). A "vacation rental" is a type of STR and is defined as...
Any individually or collectively owned single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family house or dwelling unit that is also a transient public lodging establishment OR a unit or group of units in a condominium, cooperative or timeshare plan.
Thank you for considering Destin-Fort Walton Beach! We have made it easy for you to start planning your next vacation. Learn more at Destin-FWB.com.
Important resources:
- Get required vacation rental licensing from state for a lodging establishment - myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/hotels-restaurants/licensing/vrtsp-guide/
- Okaloosa Island Protective Covenants - Visit myokaloosa.com/gm/home to view a map and learn more about the Okaloosa Island Zone B-1 protective covenants and restrictions.
- Pay the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Tax - This tax is applicable to all guests who rent for six (6) months or less. The tourist development tax is currently a tax in addition to the total rental amount received from any person who rents, leases, or lets for consideration any living quarter or sleeping or housekeeping accommodation. For more information contact the Okaloosa County Clerk of Courts & Comptroller at TouristTax@OkaloosaClerk.com or call 850-651-7200 x3492. Visit okaloosaclerk.com/tourist-development-tax to learn more. Visit okaloosatouristtax.munirevs.com to register and remit.
- Homestead exemption info - If the owner is not permanently residing in the dwelling or it is a rental, vacation home, or vacant, the property owner could be in violation of the homestead exemption regulations and could possibly be subject to multiple years of property taxes as determined by the Property Appraiser’s Office. For more information contact the Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s Office at (850) 651-7240 or okaloosapa.com/real-property
- Interested in exploring options as a Vacation Rental provider and unsure if you're in a restricted area of Okaloosa Island? Please feel free to contact the Growth Management office at 850-651-7180 or visit myokaloosa.com/gm/home
Complaints?
- Call Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) for law enforcement issues – 911 for emergencies or 850-651-7400 for non-emergencies. More at sheriff-okaloosa.org/news/file-a-complaint
- Call the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) at 850-487-1395 to file a complaint against lodging establishments including vacation rentals. DBPR issues licenses for vacation rentals. There is a DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants Consumer Complain form online available at myfloridalicense.com/DBPR/hotels-restaurants/general-complaint or HR-7003 complaint form at myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/hr/forms/documents/dbpr_hr_7003_consumer_complaint_form.pdf that may be submitted to myfloridalicense.com/contactus
- If the vacation property is listed on Airbnb, call their 24/7 neighborhood support team at 855-635-7754 to report an issue. The Expedia/VBRO 24/7 call-in number is 877-202-4291
The County May:
- Limit occupancy per unit
- Require Vacation Rentals to register with the County
- Require specific information to be posted onsite
- Impose inspection requirements
- Regulate parking, solid waste, evacuations, etc.