Key West Vacation Rental License Requirements

Key takeaways

Key West's code defines transient living accommodations as rentals of less than 30 days or one calendar month — or property advertised as available on that basis, whether or not a booking ever occurs.
Transient use is permitted only in limited zoning districts and only with a city transient rental licence; the city maintains a published list of licensed transient rental addresses.
A separate city category covers rentals of 30 days or one calendar month up to six months, requiring a business tax receipt and a regulatory permit.
Advertising alone can trigger the transient definition, which is why listing before approval is a common and avoidable mistake.
State DBPR licensing, Florida Department of Revenue registration, a Monroe County business tax receipt, and Monroe County tourist taxes apply on top of anything the city requires.

How Key West regulates vacation rentals

Key West does not treat short-term rental as a residential right that owners can exercise with a permit. It treats rental of under 30 days as a distinct land use — a transient use — that is only allowed where the zoning district permits it and only where the property holds a valid city transient rental licence. That framing explains almost everything else about the market.

The practical consequence is that in Key West, the question is not "how do I get a licence?" It is "does this specific property already have transient rights?" For the large majority of residential addresses on the island, the answer is no, and no application process changes that. The city's own guidance to property owners has been blunt on this point: very few zoning districts in the historic district allow transient use, the city applies strict parking and density requirements, and a cap on new transient licences makes converting a residential property to transient use extremely difficult.

In most Florida cities, compliance is a process you complete. In Key West, compliance often turns on a property right that either exists already or does not.

Key West also maintains a public map and address list of licensed transient rental properties. That resource is one of the most useful diligence tools in the state, because it lets a buyer or a host check an address against the city's own record rather than relying on a seller's description or a listing photo.

The 30-day line, and why advertising matters

The city's code defines transient living accommodations by reference to two triggers. The first is duration: a unit, dwelling, building, or group of buildings rented for a period of less than 30 days or one calendar month. The second is marketing: a property advertised or held out to the public as a place rented to transients — regardless of whether an actual rental occurs.

That second trigger catches owners who assume they are safe until a guest checks in. Publishing a nightly rate, showing a two-night minimum on a calendar, or describing a property as "perfect for a long weekend" can itself be the conduct the code addresses. Owners who intend to comply sometimes create the exposure during the marketing phase, before they have taken a single booking.

Key West has also adopted a separate framework for a different band of tenancies: rentals of 30 days or one calendar month up to six months. This category was created to identify and regulate short-term and seasonal rentals that fall outside the transient definition but are still shorter than a conventional annual lease. Properties in this band are generally required to hold a business tax receipt and a regulatory permit issued by the city, and the ordinance establishing the category included a defined application window along with eligibility provisions tied to earlier litigation and settlement agreements involving the city.

The takeaway for an owner is that "I only rent monthly" is not automatically outside the city's regulatory reach. There are two separate regimes, and both involve city paperwork.

Who needs approval in Key West

Work through the following in order. Each line is a question about your property, not a general rule.

You intend to rent for less than 30 days: the transient framework applies, and the property must hold transient rights and a valid city transient rental licence.
You intend to rent for 30 days up to six months: the city's short-term and seasonal rental category may apply, generally involving a business tax receipt and a regulatory permit.
You intend to rent for longer than six months: this typically falls outside both short-term frameworks, but a business tax receipt may still be required for the rental activity.
You advertise availability of any kind: check the definition before the listing goes live, not after.
You are buying a property described as an income or investment property: verify the transient status independently before closing.
You are taking over management of an existing licensed property: confirm the licence is current, correctly held, and transferable in the way the parties assume.

Condominium, co-op, and homeowner-association rules operate in addition to the city's rules. A property with city transient rights can still be barred from short-term rental by its association documents, and an association's approval does not create city rights. Both need to be checked, separately.

Key West rental categories at a glance

This table is an orientation aid, not a determination for your address. Confirm every line with the City of Key West Licensing Division and the current code before relying on it.

Rental length	How the city generally treats it	Typical city requirement	What to verify first
Less than 30 days	Transient living accommodation — a distinct land use	Transient rental licence; property must have transient rights in its zoning district	Whether the address appears on the city's licensed transient rental list
30 days to six months	Short-term or seasonal rental category	Business tax receipt and regulatory permit under the applicable division of the code	Eligibility criteria and whether an application window applies to your situation
More than six months	Generally outside the short-term frameworks	Business tax receipt for the rental activity may still apply	Whether the lease term and practice actually match the paperwork
Advertised as nightly, unlicensed	Potentially within the transient definition on the advertising trigger alone	Remove or correct the advertising and resolve status before listing	Every platform, sign, and website where the property appears

The practical path for a Key West property

Because eligibility drives everything here, the sequence below front-loads verification. Steps four onward only make sense once the first three produce a clear answer.

1Identify the property preciselyCollect the parcel identification number, the legal description, the deed, and the current zoning district designation. Every conversation with the city goes faster when you can state the parcel rather than describe the house.
2Check the published transient rental listThe city publishes a map and an address list of licensed transient rental properties. Check your address against it and record what you find, including the date and the version of the list.
3Get a written status confirmation from the cityContact the Licensing Division and the Planning Department and ask, in writing, what rental use the property is permitted for and what licences are currently attached to it. Keep the response in your compliance file permanently.
4Determine the correct categoryUnder 30 days, 30 days to six months, or longer. Your marketing, your minimum-stay settings, and your lease templates all need to match whichever answer applies.
5Assemble the supporting documentsDeed, property record card, survey where required, floor plan or unit information, parking documentation, owner identification and contact details, and any prior approvals attached to the property.
6Apply through the city's licensing processApplication requirements, review steps, and fee schedules are published by the city and change periodically. Confirm the current form, the current fee, and any required inspection or review before submitting.
7Complete the state and county registrationsDBPR licensing, Department of Revenue registration, a Monroe County business tax receipt, and Monroe County tourist tax accounts, as applicable to the property.
8Align the listing with the approvalSet the minimum-stay rules on every channel to match what the property is actually permitted to do, and display any licence or registration identifiers the city or platform requires.
9Calendar every renewalCity licences, state licences, county business tax receipts, and tax filings all run on their own cycles. Put each one on a shared calendar with a reminder well ahead of the deadline.

The state and county layer that applies regardless of what Key West requires

Every local approval discussed on this page sits on top of a state and county layer that applies to short-term rentals throughout Monroe County. Owners frequently complete the local step, assume they are finished, and discover a year later that a state licence or a county account was never opened.

Florida DBPR vacation rental licence

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, licenses transient public lodging establishments, including vacation rental dwellings and vacation rental condominiums. The licence category depends on the property type and on how many units are being licensed together, and it is renewable on the schedule the Division assigns.

Our overview of the dwelling versus condominium licence categories explains how the classification is usually determined and why getting it wrong causes application delays.

Florida Department of Revenue sales tax account

Renting accommodation for six months or less generally requires registration with the Department of Revenue for sales and use tax purposes, even where a marketplace collects tax on some bookings. Registration, filing, and recordkeeping are separate obligations from collection.

Monroe County business tax receipt

Monroe County issues a local business tax receipt for rental activity, administered by the Tax Collector's office. Municipalities within the county may issue their own business tax receipt in addition to the county one, so confirm both.

County tourist development and tourist impact tax accounts

Local lodging taxes in the Keys are collected by the Monroe County Tax Collector rather than by the state, which means a separate account, a separate login, and a separate return from your state filing.

Lodging taxes for a Key West rental

Lodging tax in Key West is layered, and owners routinely underestimate how many separate accounts sit behind a single reservation. There is a state layer administered by the Florida Department of Revenue and a local layer administered by the Monroe County Tax Collector. They are different taxes, filed on different systems, with different account numbers.

Layer	Who administers it	How it is generally reported	What to verify
Florida state sales tax on transient rentals	Florida Department of Revenue	Sales and use tax return (commonly DR-15) for the registered location	Your filing frequency, the correct location ID, and whether a marketplace is collecting
Monroe County discretionary sales surtax	Florida Department of Revenue	Reported with the state return using the county surtax rate in effect	The current surtax rate on the Department's DR-15DSS rate table
Monroe County Tourist Development Tax	Monroe County Tax Collector	Filed with the Tax Collector, commonly through the TouristExpress online system	Your TDT account number, filing frequency, and the monthly due date
Monroe County Tourist Impact Tax	Monroe County Tax Collector	Reported together with the Tourist Development Tax	That the combined local rate on your return matches the Tax Collector's current schedule
Marketplace-collected amounts	Airbnb, Vrbo, or another platform	Reported by the platform where it collects; reconciled by you	Exactly which taxes the platform collects for your address, and which it does not

Monroe County's local lodging tax is made up of a tourist development tax plus a tourist impact tax, both collected by the Monroe County Tax Collector rather than by the state. That is a meaningful operational detail: even owners whose state sales tax is handled cleanly can miss the county side entirely, because nothing in the state filing process prompts them to open a county account.

Returns in a self-administering county like Monroe are generally due on a monthly cycle, with the return and payment due shortly after the close of the reporting period. The Tax Collector's office also publishes a collection allowance for returns filed and paid on time through its online system. Confirm your own filing frequency and due dates on your account rather than assuming a schedule.

For the structural difference between the two tax layers and how they interact, see Florida sales tax versus tourist development tax. If your bookings run through Airbnb, also review how platform-collected amounts flow into your filings.

The Key West compliance file

A complete file is what turns a stressful request into a five-minute email. Keep these together, in one place, with a consistent naming convention.

Deed, parcel record card, survey, and legal description.
Written city confirmation of the permitted rental use for the address.
The city transient rental licence or the business tax receipt and regulatory permit, as applicable, plus every prior year.
Zoning correspondence, conditional use approvals, and any prior determinations attached to the property.
DBPR licence certificate and renewal confirmations.
Florida Department of Revenue registration and filed returns.
Monroe County business tax receipt and tourist tax account documentation.
Insurance declarations page, including any short-term rental endorsement.
Association documents and any written association approval for rental use.
Local contact designation, with the name and phone number on file with the city.
Platform listing snapshots showing minimum-stay settings and any displayed licence numbers.
Inspection reports and correction records, where an inspection applies.

For a general filing structure that works across Florida jurisdictions, see what documents every Florida vacation rental owner should keep.

Before you buy in Key West

Key West may be the Florida market where pre-purchase diligence matters most, because the difference between a property with transient rights and an identical property without them is enormous and cannot be fixed after closing.

Verify the address against the city's published transient rental licence list yourself. Do not accept a screenshot from a listing agent.
Request written confirmation from the city of the permitted rental use and the licences currently attached to the parcel.
Ask specifically what happens to any transient licence at closing and what the buyer must do to keep it in place.
Read the condominium or association documents in full, including any rental minimums, registration requirements, and guest limits.
Ask the seller for the last three years of licences, tax returns, and inspection records, and reconcile them against the income claims.
Confirm the DBPR licence status and whether it is held by the owner or through a management company's collective licence.
Check whether the historic district, the zoning district, or a prior conditional use approval limits occupancy, parking, or unit count.
Budget for the transactional costs the city charges on transfers and applications, which in Key West are not trivial.

What happens when a Key West property operates without approval

Cities in the Keys generally enforce short-term rental rules through code compliance processes, which can involve notices of violation, hearings before a special magistrate or code enforcement board, daily fines that accrue while a violation continues, and liens against the property. Key West has historically been an active enforcement jurisdiction, and litigation over its rental rules has shaped the current framework.

Enforcement risk is not limited to fines. An unresolved violation can complicate a sale, a refinance, or an insurance claim, and platforms may remove listings when a jurisdiction reports that a property is not properly licensed. The cheapest moment to resolve a status question is always before the first booking.

If you receive a notice, treat it as a legal matter rather than an administrative one. A Florida-licensed attorney familiar with Monroe County land use is the right first call — not a property manager, and not a compliance service.

Common mistakes Key West owners make

Assuming a real-estate listing description, a prior owner's statement, or a neighbour's operating history establishes that the property may legally be rented short-term.
Advertising a nightly rate before the local approval is issued, which in many Keys jurisdictions is itself a violation regardless of whether a guest ever arrives.
Believing that a property can be converted to transient use through an application, when the city has described conversion as difficult to impossible given zoning, density, parking, and the licence cap.
Confusing the 30-day-plus seasonal rental category with the transient category and applying for the wrong thing.
Assuming a transient licence automatically follows a property through a sale without any action by the buyer.
Opening a state sales tax account and never opening the Monroe County tourist tax account, or the reverse.
Letting the local contact designation go stale after changing property managers, cleaners, or phone numbers.
Missing a renewal window because the reminder went to an email address the owner no longer monitors.
Keeping approvals, inspection reports, and tax filings in three different places, so nobody can produce a complete file on request.
Relying on a platform's tax collection without ever verifying which taxes it actually remits for that address.

None of these are exotic. They accumulate quietly, usually during a transition — a new manager, a new booking channel, a sale, a change of address — and they surface at the least convenient moment, which is normally a renewal, an inspection, or a closing.

How Florida Host Desk helps

Our work in Key West is administrative. For a specific address, we help identify which state, county, and municipal registrations appear to be associated with the property, assemble the documents each application or renewal typically requires, build a single organized compliance file, and put renewal and filing dates on a calendar the owner can actually follow.

We do not determine whether a property is legally permitted to operate as a short-term rental, we do not provide legal, tax, or zoning advice, we do not represent owners before any agency, and we cannot guarantee that any application will be approved. Where a question turns on interpreting an ordinance, a zoning determination, a title issue, or a tax position, we say so and point to the appropriate licensed professional.

If you are starting from zero, the Florida vacation rental compliance checklist is a good companion to this page, and the compliance calendar keeps the recurring items visible once the initial setup is complete.

Frequently asked questions

Can I rent my Key West house on Airbnb for a few nights at a time?

Only if the property holds transient rights in its zoning district and a valid city transient rental licence. Key West defines rentals of less than 30 days as a transient use, permits that use in limited districts, and limits the number of transient licences. Check the address against the city's published licensed transient rental list and confirm the result in writing with the city before listing.

What is the minimum rental period in Key West without a transient licence?

The city's transient definition turns on rentals of less than 30 days or one calendar month. Longer tenancies fall outside that definition, but the city has a separate regulated category for rentals of 30 days up to six months that generally requires a business tax receipt and a regulatory permit. Confirm which category applies to your intended terms.

Does advertising a nightly rate matter if nobody books?

Yes. The city's definition of transient living accommodations includes property advertised or held out to the public as available for transient rental, regardless of whether an actual rental occurs. Resolve status before publishing a listing on any platform.

Does a Key West transient licence transfer to a new owner automatically?

Do not assume so. Transfer mechanics, timing, and any application or fee requirements are set by the city and can change. Ask the Licensing Division in writing what the buyer must do, and treat the answer as a closing condition rather than a post-closing task.

Do I still need a DBPR licence if the City of Key West licenses my rental?

City licensing and state licensing are separate. Transient public lodging establishments are licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, in addition to any municipal requirement. Verify the correct licence category for your property type.

Who collects tourist development tax on a Key West rental?

Local lodging taxes in the Keys are administered by the Monroe County Tax Collector rather than by the state, which means a separate account and a separate return from your Florida Department of Revenue sales tax filing. Confirm your account, rate, and due dates directly with the Tax Collector's office.

Can Florida Host Desk tell me whether my property qualifies for a transient licence?

No. Whether a property has transient rights is a land use and licensing determination made by the City of Key West, and questions about it can involve legal interpretation. We help identify which registrations and records are associated with a property, organize the documentation, and track renewals.

Request your Florida Compliance Map

Official sources

The following official sources were consulted while preparing this article. Local ordinances, fee schedules, application forms, and tax rates change; confirm current details directly with the agency that has jurisdiction over your property before acting.

City of Key West — Regulatory Licenses — verified August 12, 2026
City of Key West — Map and Addresses of Transient Rental Properties — verified August 12, 2026
City of Key West — Code of Ordinances (Municode Library) — verified August 12, 2026
Florida DBPR — Division of Hotels and Restaurants, public lodging licensing — verified August 12, 2026
Florida Department of Revenue — Florida Sales and Use Tax — verified August 12, 2026
Florida Department of Revenue — Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (DR-15TDT) — verified August 12, 2026
Monroe County Tax Collector — Tourist Development Tax — verified August 12, 2026
Monroe County Tax Collector — Business Tax Receipts — verified August 12, 2026

Disclaimer: This article provides general administrative information about Florida vacation rental compliance and is current as of the verification date above. It is not legal, accounting, tax, or regulatory advice. Florida Host Desk is not a law firm, accounting firm, CPA firm, tax-preparation firm, or government agency, and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any city, county, or state agency. Local requirements change and can depend on zoning district, property type, and prior approvals. Confirm current requirements directly with the agencies named above and consult a qualified professional about your specific situation.