Ocala · North Central Florida
Property Management in Ocala, FL — Airbnb & Short-Term Rentals
Ocala's rental calendar runs on horse shows: World Equestrian Center events all year and the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit from October to April. We manage short and monthly stays around them.
Free rental projection — about a minute
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What we deliver
Full-service management in Ocala
Florida Hosts is a full-service Ocala property management company — Airbnb and short-term rental management, plus mid-term and long-term rentals: the listing and photography, nightly pricing, 24/7 guest communication, and cleaning and maintenance by our own staff. Our fee is 18–25% of booking revenue, quoted in writing before you sign. We manage homes across Ocala and Marion County.
See all services →Why Florida Hosts in Ocala
- World Equestrian Center on NW 80th Avenue
- HITS Ocala Winter Circuit at Post Time Farm, October 22, 2026 to April 18, 2027
- Silver Springs State Park and the Ocala National Forest
- Owners must file Marion County's 4% tourist tax themselves; no platform agreement
- No city vacation rental chapter; the state DBPR license and tax accounts apply
Explore Ocala
Where we manage in and around Ocala
Every area, landmark and institution around Ocala has its own demand profile and guest mix. These are the ones we manage into.
Local vs. national
The Ocala advantage: local knowledge at every level
National platforms run algorithms, not relationships — pricing from national datasets, turnovers by whoever is free, and support with no feel for your market. We price Ocala around its own seasons and events, and our own cleaners and maintenance staff look after the homes.
Short-term rental and Airbnb management in Ocala
Ocala’s rental demand is tied to horses. HITS Post Time Farm describes Ocala as the Horse Capital of the World, and World Equestrian Center runs equestrian and multidiscipline event venues on the city’s northwest side. Riders, trainers, grooms, owners and spectators all need somewhere to sleep, often for longer than a weekend.
Property management in Ocala therefore covers two kinds of stay. Short-term rental management and Airbnb management handle show weeks and weekend visitors, while furnished monthly rentals suit people who stay for a whole circuit. Annual leases are available too.
Where guests come from
World Equestrian Center is at 1750 NW 80th Avenue and hosts equestrian and multidiscipline events across the calendar, including breed shows. HITS Post Time Farm, on 500 acres at 13710 US Highway 27, hosts the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, which runs from October 22, 2026 to April 18, 2027.
The springs and forest bring a second group of visitors. Silver Springs State Park, at 5656 E. Silver Springs Boulevard, is known for its glass-bottom boats, and Rainbow Springs State Park is in nearby Dunnellon. The Ocala National Forest has lakes, boat launches and trails.
Medical and college demand fills in the rest. AdventHealth Ocala is at 1500 SW 1st Avenue and HCA Florida Ocala Hospital at 1431 SW 1st Avenue, and the College of Central Florida has its Ocala campus here.
Ocala short-term rental rules
As of October 2026, the City of Ocala Code of Ordinances has no separate vacation rental license or registration chapter, so Florida law sets the baseline. Rent a home more than three times in a year for stays shorter than 30 days and §509.013 treats it as transient public lodging, which requires a DBPR vacation rental license.
An Ocala mailing address does not always mean city limits, since unincorporated Marion County uses the same postal name, and HOA covenants or condo documents can limit rentals at any address. We confirm the jurisdiction and read the association documents before a home is listed.
Taxes on Ocala vacation rentals
An Ocala rental of six months or less is taxed at 11.5%: Florida’s 6% sales tax under §212.03, Marion County’s 1.5% surtax (DR-15DSS, 2026) and Marion County’s 4% tourist development tax (DR-15TDT).
The Marion County Tax Collector says the county is not contracted with any platform, including Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway. The owner has to collect and remit the 4% tourist tax, and the tax applies to cleaning, pet and other fees included in the rent.
How Florida Hosts manages Ocala rentals
Florida Hosts registers Ocala homes for the DBPR license, a state sales tax account and a Marion County tourist tax account before listing them. After that, our vacation rental work follows the show calendar: weekly and monthly pricing around WEC and HITS dates, the Marion County tourist tax collected on every booking and filed with the Tax Collector, and 24/7 guest communication backed by our own cleaning and maintenance staff.
We charge 18–25% of booking revenue for short-term management, quoted in writing. Riders who stay a full circuit can book furnished stays of 30 days or more, annual leases go through licensed brokers, and a free Ocala projection is ready in one business day.
Free projection · about a minute
What could your Ocala property earn?
Send us the address and we'll come back with real numbers for it, from a person on our team, within one business day.
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.
The rules
Ocala vacation rental rules
Florida licenses vacation rentals at state level, and cities, counties and condo or HOA documents can add their own requirements. We check what applies to your Ocala address — license, registration and building rules — before a single guest books.
Rules change, so always confirm the current position for your address — we will tell you exactly what applies.
- In Florida, a home rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for stays of less than 30 consecutive days — or advertised as regularly available for such stays — is a transient public lodging establishment.Fla. Stat. §509.013(4)(a)1 (2026)
- A condominium or cooperative unit, or a house of up to four units, that is a transient public lodging establishment (and not a timeshare) is a "vacation rental" under Florida law.Fla. Stat. §509.242(1)(c) (2026)
- Each public lodging establishment, vacation rentals included, must hold a license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR).Fla. Stat. §§509.013(1), 509.241(1) (2026)
- A Florida local law may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate how long or how often they are rented — unless that local law was adopted on or before June 1, 2011.Fla. Stat. §509.032(7)(b) (2026)
North Central Florida
Nearby areas we manage
Common questions
Ocala vacation rental management — FAQs
Is Airbnb legal in Ocala?
Yes. The City of Ocala's Code of Ordinances has no separate vacation rental license or registration chapter as of October 2026, so the statewide rules apply: a DBPR vacation rental license (§509.241) and state and county tax registration. HOA covenants, condo documents and zoning conditions on a property can still restrict short stays.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Ocala?
Ocala stays of six months or less owe 11.5%: Florida's 6% sales tax (§212.03), Marion County's 1.5% discretionary sales surtax (DR-15DSS, 2026) and Marion County's 4% tourist development tax (DR-15TDT). The Marion County Tax Collector says it has no agreement with Airbnb, VRBO or other platforms, so the owner must collect and remit the 4% tax.
When is horse show season in Ocala?
World Equestrian Center in Ocala hosts events through the year. The HITS Ocala Winter Circuit at HITS Post Time Farm runs from October 22, 2026 to April 18, 2027, and HITS offers USEF-rated competition there from December through March.
Can I rent my Ocala home by the month to riders and trainers?
Yes. A winter circuit that runs for months suits furnished stays of 30 days or more, which are outside Florida's definition of a transient rental. Stays of six months or less still owe sales tax and the county tourist tax.
What does Airbnb management cost in Ocala?
Short-term management of an Ocala home costs 18–25% of booking revenue, agreed in a written quote. Our free Ocala rental projection reaches you within one business day.
Every service we run here
What we manage in Ocala
Short-term rental management is the heart of what we do in Ocala, and we manage mid-term and long-term rentals here too — with licensed brokers for the leasing.
Free projection · about a minute
Ready to put your Ocala home to work?
A free rental projection built from real comparable listings near you — within one business day.
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.
Talk to us about your Ocala property
Get a free rental projection — or call and ask us anything about your home.
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