Gulf County · Cape San Blas beach houses, registered and inspected every year
Vacation Rental & Airbnb Management in Gulf County, FL
Gulf County is the quiet end of the Panhandle coast: Cape San Blas and the St. Joseph Peninsula wrap around St. Joseph Bay, with Port St. Joe across the water. The county registers every vacation rental home each year and has its building department inspect each unit annually. Florida Hosts files the registration, meets the inspector, handles the tourist tax and runs Airbnb management, with mid-term and long-term leasing through licensed brokers.
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What we deliver
Full-service management across Gulf County
Florida Hosts handles every part of a Gulf County vacation rental — listing creation and photography, dynamic pricing, 24/7 guest communication, cleaning, and turnovers. One fee: 18–25% of booking revenue, quoted in writing before you sign.
See all services →Why Gulf County
T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, at the end of Cape San Blas Road, draws beachgoers, campers and birders. St. Joseph Bay draws kayakers and anglers, and in open years scallopers, though FWC closed the 2026 season in the Gulf County zone. The Cape San Blas Lighthouse now stands in Port St. Joe’s George Core Park, and Ascension Sacred Heart Gulf is the local hospital.
Gulf County
Where we manage in and around Gulf County
Each Gulf County city brings its own demand profile and guest mix. Pick yours for its own rules, taxes and guests.
Cape San Blas
Cape San Blas beach houses sit between the Gulf and St. Joseph Bay.
ExploreOkaloosa County
Okaloosa County’s coast packs three different rule sets into a few miles.
ExploreWalton County
Walton County’s coast, from Miramar Beach through the Scenic Highway 30A towns to Rosemary Beach, is unincorporated: the county lists only DeFuniak Springs, Freeport and Paxton as municipalities.
ExploreBay County
Bay County’s rental coast runs from the Walton line through Panama City Beach to Mexico Beach.
ExploreSanta Rosa County
Santa Rosa County’s beach is Navarre Beach, with the mainland community of Navarre across Santa Rosa Sound.
ExploreEscambia County
Escambia County pairs a historic Navy city with a barrier-island beach that cannot be bought outright.
ExploreLocal vs. national
The Gulf County advantage: local knowledge at every level
A national platform prices Gulf County from a spreadsheet and sends whoever is free to turn the unit. We work it address by address: which city or county code applies, which tax accounts the stay needs, and our own cleaning and maintenance staff on every turnover, with guests able to reach us 24/7.
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Free, no obligation. Prefer to talk? Call (321) 321-2348
Step 1 of 4 · Address
What’s the address of your property?
We’ll pull real, comparable Florida listings to build your projection.
Regulatory compliance
Gulf County short-term rental rules
Gulf County Code §12-36, part of the business license ordinance adopted as Ordinance 2021-03, requires every vacation rental home, as defined by Florida Statute, to register with the county on or before September 1 each year and pay a $100 annual vacation rental business license fee. Each unit is inspected annually by the county building department for compliance with local and state rules. Violations of the article can bring fines of up to $500 per day and an inactive license until the rental complies. The state DBPR license is also required.
Always confirm the latest rules with the relevant local authority before listing — we'll point you to exactly what applies to your property.
Tourist development tax
5%
On rentals of six months or less, on top of Florida's 6% state tax.
Florida DOR, DR-15TDT Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (R. 10/26)Common questions
Gulf County STR management — FAQs
What tourist tax applies to vacation rentals in Gulf County?
Gulf County’s tourist development tax is 5% on rentals of six months or less (DOR DR-15TDT), collected by the county rather than the state. Guests also pay Florida’s 6% sales tax and Gulf County’s 1% discretionary sales surtax.
When is Gulf County’s vacation rental registration due?
Code §12-36 requires registration of all vacation rental homes on or before September 1 of each year, with the $100 annual business license fee, after which the county issues a license number.
Is the 2026 scallop season open in St. Joseph Bay?
No. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says the 2026 bay scallop season for its Gulf County zone, which runs from the Mexico Beach Canal to St. Vincent Island, is closed to harvest. FWC sets the zone’s status each year.
Sources
- Florida DOR, DR-15TDT Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (R. 10/26) · October 2026
- Florida DOR, DR-15DSS Discretionary Sales Surtax, Calendar Year 2026 · October 2026
- Florida Statutes §509.241 (DBPR license for public lodging, incl. vacation rentals) · October 2026
- Gulf County Code §12-36, Vacation rental business (Municode) · October 2026
- Florida State Parks — T.H. Stone Memorial St. Joseph Peninsula State Park · October 2026
- FWC — Bay Scallops (season zones) · October 2026
- City of Port St. Joe — George Core Park · October 2026
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