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

Short-term rental and Airbnb management in Marathon

Marathon sits in the Middle Keys, and its vacation rental ordinance draws a clear line: a licensed home can rent for 7 to 28 nights, and no private residence may be rented for fewer than seven. Weekly and two-week stays are the product, and our short-term rental management and Airbnb management in Marathon are built around those lengths.

Property management in Marathon also means paperwork on two levels. The City licenses both the property and the person running it, and the county collects the tourist tax. Homes that are not licensed rent for longer than 28 days, which is where furnished monthly stays and annual leases come in.

Where guests come from

Pigeon Key sits beneath the Old Seven Mile Bridge, with a museum and guided tours on its role in Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad. Marine life is the other draw: the Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key is a not-for-profit education and research facility, and The Turtle Hospital at Mile Marker 48.5 rescues and rehabilitates sea turtles.

The City runs Sombrero Beach and Coco Plum Beach, and Curry Hammock State Park is the largest undeveloped parcel between Key Largo and Big Pine Key. Crane Point Museum and Nature Center covers the islands’ natural history. Guests can land at Florida Keys Marathon International Airport, and Baptist Health Fishermen’s Community Hospital serves the Middle Keys.

Marathon short-term rental rules

City Code §8-12 requires a vacation rental property license to rent a dwelling for not less than seven and not more than 28 nights, and prohibits renting a private residence for fewer than seven nights. Each dwelling on a lot needs its own license, and the license is renewed every year, with the renewal due 30 days before it expires. A license not renewed on time is void, and the home cannot be rented or advertised.

The owner either completes the City’s vacation rental training or hires someone holding a vacation rental agent license. The City’s training material puts the agent license at $500 a year, and the City’s application guide requires a state sales tax certificate, a DBPR license, a Monroe County business tax receipt and a tourist tax account before a fire inspection is scheduled.

Section 8-14 sets the operating rules: clean before each stay, a local contact on call 24/7 who responds within one hour, off-street parking for every vehicle and trailer, one kitchen per unit, and occupancy of two people per bedroom plus two. Every ad must show the City license and agent license numbers. Three violations in 12 months suspend a license for a year, and §8-24 requires guests to leave under a non-resident evacuation order.

The ordinance was adopted January 11, 2011, before the June 1, 2011 date in §509.032(7)(b) that protects older local rules on rental duration.

Taxes on Marathon vacation rentals

For Marathon bookings of six months or less, three taxes apply to the rent: 6% Florida sales tax under §212.03, Monroe County’s 1.5% surtax (DR-15DSS, 2026) and the county’s 5% tourist development tax (DR-15TDT). The tourist tax is paid to the Monroe County Tax Collector, which says platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO do not remit it for owners.

How Florida Hosts manages Marathon rentals

In Marathon, Florida Hosts can set up the pieces the City asks for, from the state sales tax certificate and DBPR license to the county business tax receipt and tourist tax account. For a licensed Marathon vacation rental, we set seven-night minimums, keep the license and agent numbers on every listing, track renewals and fire inspections, and handle 24/7 guest communication with our own cleaning and maintenance staff.

Unlicensed homes can rent furnished for more than 28 nights, or on annual leases that licensed brokers arrange. We charge 18–25% of booking revenue for licensed vacation rentals, always quoted in writing, and send a free Marathon projection within one business day.