North Central Florida property management — Airbnb, short-term & long-term rentals

In Gainesville, Gator football at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and University of Florida events fill weekends, while UF Health Shands Hospital and the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center on Archer Road bring longer stays. In Ocala, World Equestrian Center hosts events across the year and the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit at HITS Post Time Farm runs from October 22, 2026 to April 18, 2027.

In Tallahassee, the Florida Constitution sets the legislative calendar: a regular session convenes in March in odd-numbered years and in January in even-numbered years and can last up to 60 consecutive days. Florida State University, Florida A&M University and Tallahassee State College add game days and commencement weekends.

As of October 2026, the codes of Gainesville, Ocala and Tallahassee contain no separate vacation rental license or registration chapter. A home rented more than three times a year for stays under 30 days is a transient public lodging establishment under Florida Statutes §509.013 and needs a DBPR vacation rental license under §509.241. Stays of 30 days or more fall outside that definition.

Homeowner association covenants, condo declarations and the zoning of a specific property can still limit short stays, so we read those documents for every home before it is listed.

Alachua and Leon counties charge a 5% tourist development tax and Marion County charges 4%, on top of Florida's 6% sales tax and a 1.5% county surtax in each county for 2026. All three counties collect the tourist tax themselves rather than through the state.

Who files differs. Airbnb and VRBO have remitted Alachua County's tax directly since January 1, 2025. Leon County has an agreement with Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO and TripAdvisor. Marion County has no platform agreement at all, so Ocala owners must collect and remit the 4% tax on every booking.