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

Short-term rental and Airbnb management in Palm Beach

The Town of Palm Beach is a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon from West Palm Beach, made up of estates, historic houses, townhouses and condo and co-op buildings. Its rental market is seasonal: owners lease homes for the winter months, and buildings can set their own rules on who may rent and for how long.

That shapes what property management in Palm Beach can honestly offer. The Town’s zoning code sets a three-month minimum for residential occupancy, with only three shorter stays allowed per year, so short-term rental management in the Airbnb sense does not fit here. What does fit is seasonal and annual leasing, done properly and taxed correctly. We explain that up front rather than list a home that cannot legally take nightly guests.

Where guests come from

Palm Beach’s seasonal tenants come for the island itself. Worth Avenue’s shops and galleries, The Breakers, the Flagler Museum in Henry Flagler’s Whitehall mansion, the Society of the Four Arts and the Lake Trail along the lagoon are all part of the draw. The Royal Poinciana Plaza adds shops and restaurants near the north bridge.

Palm Beach International Airport is a short drive across the lagoon in West Palm Beach, and the Brightline station downtown connects the area to Miami and Orlando.

Palm Beach short-term rental rules

The rule is in the definitions section of the Town’s zoning code, §134-2. It defines “residential use” as occupancy of a permanent or semipermanent nature, by any one individual or family, of not less than three months. A residence may be occupied for less than three months, but not more frequently than three times per calendar year.

The same section defines “commercial use” to include the occupancy of residential properties for periods of less than three months more frequently than three times per calendar year. A residential property rented on a typical Airbnb or Vrbo calendar would therefore be classified as a commercial use rather than a residential one. The code permits timesharing only by special exception, and only in a handful of districts.

Florida’s preemption statute, §509.032(7)(b), limits local rules on rental duration, but it does not apply to local laws adopted on or before June 1, 2011. We manage within the Town’s rules as written and do not list Palm Beach homes for nightly stays.

Condo and co-op buildings on the island add their own layer: buildings can set minimum lease terms, limit how many times a unit is leased each year, and require board approval of tenants. We read every building’s documents before taking on a unit.

Taxes on Palm Beach vacation rentals

A seasonal lease of six months or less is still a transient rental for tax purposes. Florida’s 6% sales tax applies under §212.03, plus Palm Beach County’s 0.5% discretionary sales surtax for 2026 (DR-15DSS) and Palm Beach County’s 6% tourist development tax (DR-15TDT). The Palm Beach County Tax Collector applies that tax to rentals of six months or less and requires the host to file it. Leases longer than six months fall outside these taxes.

How Florida Hosts manages Palm Beach rentals

Florida Hosts sets up the Palm Beach County tax accounts that seasonal leases of six months or less require. In Palm Beach our role is seasonal and annual rental management: preparing the home, handling tenant communication 24/7, collecting and filing the taxes that apply to stays of six months or less, and sending our own cleaning and maintenance staff before, during and after each season.

Leasing is handled by licensed brokers. For owners who also hold property on the mainland, our short-term rental management and Airbnb management fee of 18–25% of booking revenue applies there, quoted in writing, and a vacation rental in West Palm Beach or Delray Beach may be the better fit for nightly stays. Ask for a free rental projection on a Palm Beach seasonal lease and you will have it within one business day.