Property Management in Fort Lauderdale, FL — Airbnb & Short-Term Rentals

Short-term rental and Airbnb management in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a canal city. Much of the vacation rental stock sits on finger isles off Las Olas Boulevard and in waterfront neighborhoods such as Rio Vista and Victoria Park, where single-family pool homes back onto docks. Closer to the ocean, low-rise apartment buildings and condos line the barrier island along A1A and the Galt Ocean Mile.

Property management in Fort Lauderdale starts with the city’s vacation rental program. A house that is registered, inspected and run by the book can host short stays legally. A house that is not cannot be advertised at all, and the city treats a listing for less than 30 days as direct evidence of a violation. Our Airbnb management here is built around that certificate.

Where guests come from

Port Everglades sends a steady flow of cruise passengers who want a night or two on land before or after sailing, and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a short drive from most of the city. Fort Lauderdale Beach and the Las Olas shops and restaurants draw leisure travelers through the winter season.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show fills the city each fall, and the marine industry brings yacht crews, brokers and contractors year round. Broward Health Medical Center on South Andrews Avenue and Holy Cross Health on North Federal Highway bring patients’ families and visiting clinicians, a group that often books longer stays. The Brightline station downtown connects guests to Miami and West Palm Beach without a car.

Fort Lauderdale short-term rental rules

The rules live in Chapter 15, Article X of the City Code. Any one- to four-family house or dwelling unit rented as a vacation rental must be registered and hold a certificate of compliance, and the city’s program page says condominiums advertised for 30 days or less are covered as well. Certificates expire every September 30, and renewals are due 60 days before that date.

Before the city will accept an application, the registration page asks for the state vacation rental license from DBPR, a Department of Revenue registration, a Broward County business tax receipt and a Broward County tourist development tax account. It lists a fee of $880 for up to four units under one folio, including the first inspection.

An inspector visits before the first certificate is issued and again every year. The code limits overnight guests to two per sleeping room, requires interconnected smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, a fire extinguisher on each floor and a noise-level detection device whose data is kept for 180 days. All guest vehicles must park in the driveway, and every listing must show the certificate number.

The owner must name a responsible party who answers the phone around the clock and can reach the property in person within one hour of a call from a guest, the police or the city. In September 2026 the City Commission approved Ordinance C-26-39, which the city says sets a $1,000-per-day penalty for operating without a valid certificate.

The state rules still apply on top: a unit rented more than three times a year for less than 30 days is a transient public lodging establishment under §509.013 and needs a DBPR license under §509.241. Condo associations can set their own leasing limits, so we read the documents for each building.

Taxes on Fort Lauderdale vacation rentals

Stays of six months or less carry Florida’s 6% sales tax under §212.03 and Broward County’s 1% discretionary sales surtax, which DOR form DR-15DSS lists through 2048. Broward County adds a 6% tourist development tax under §125.0104. DOR form DR-15TDT shows that Broward collects that tax itself, so it is filed with the county, not the state.

How Florida Hosts manages Fort Lauderdale rentals

Florida Hosts helps Fort Lauderdale owners get licensed and registered from the start: the DBPR license, the Broward County tax accounts and the city certificate of compliance. For a Fort Lauderdale waterfront house or beach condo, we then handle the yearly inspection, the renewals and the 24/7 guest line ourselves, with our own cleaning and maintenance staff turning the property between stays.

Our short-term rental management and Airbnb management fee is 18–25% of booking revenue, quoted in writing before you sign. If the city rules or your condo documents point toward longer stays, we also manage mid-term furnished rentals of 30 days or more and annual leases, with licensed brokers handling the leasing. Ask for a free rental projection and you will have it within one business day.