--- title: "Short-Term Rental Management in Key West, FL | Florida Hosts" description: "Short-Term Rental Management in Key West, FL — for owners across Monroe County. Get a free projection for your property." url: https://floridahosts.com/services/short-term-rental-management/key-west/ --- ![Resort-style pool with palm trees and a tiled-roof gazebo — the kind of vacation rental community we manage in Florida](/images/florida-property-management.webp) Airbnb · Vrbo · vacation rental property management · Key West # Short-Term Rental Management in Key West, FL Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com stays priced every night and run by our own local team — the listing, the guests, the cleaning and the repairs — so your Florida home earns without becoming your job. 10,000+ guest reviews since 2016 · [Call (321) 321-2348](tel:+13213212348) Free rental projection — about a minute Free, no obligation. Prefer to talk? Call [(321) 321-2348](tel:+13213212348). Key West, FL ## Why Key West — and what it means for your property In Key West, nightly and weekly stays are legal only at homes holding a city transient license. We manage licensed vacation rentals, and rent every other home by the month or year. Key West sits in **Monroe County**, which sets much of the regulatory and tax picture for property here. We track those rules per address rather than per city, because they rarely stop neatly at a city line. ### What stands out about Key West - City transient business tax receipt required for any stay under 30 days or one calendar month - Licensed homes display a city medallion and pass a fire marshal inspection - Rentals of a month or longer need no transient license - Monroe County's 5% tourist tax is filed with the county Tax Collector - Old Town, the Truman Annex and Fort Zachary Taylor ## How short-term rental management works in Key West ### What short-term rental management actually covers Short-term rental management means someone else runs the business your home has become: the listing, the price of every night, every guest message, every turnover, every repair and every statement. Done properly it is a full-time operation — which is exactly why most owners hand it over. We have hosted short-term rentals since 2016 and manage 350+ homes across Florida. Cleaning and maintenance are done by our own staff, not a rotating list of strangers, and guest communication runs around the clock. ### Pricing every night, not once a season Florida demand moves with snowbird season, spring break, school holidays, festivals, race weeks and summer on the Gulf and the Panhandle. A rate set once leaves money behind on the busy nights and empty nights in the quiet weeks. We review your calendar daily and price each night around real demand, the competing homes near you and the events coming up — then check the result in your monthly statement. ### What short-term rental management looks like in Key West specifically Short-term rental management in Key West is only possible at a property that already holds a city transient business tax receipt. City Code §18-601 makes it unlawful to lease a residential property for less than 30 days or one calendar month without one, and §122-1371 records that owners who never used their homes transiently no longer have the opportunity to start under the rate of growth ordinance. The transfer rules in §122-1336 move existing transient units between sites but do not create new ones. For a licensed home, the work is a compliance routine set by §122-1371: the city medallion displayed outside, a fire marshal inspection, a 24-hour contact posted on the exterior, a register of every tenant and vehicle, a written lease that includes the city rules, and off-street parking for each unit outside the historic district. The transient license renews by September 30, and late renewals carry a 10% penalty in October plus 5% for each further month. When a licensed home is sold, §122-1371(e) lets the transient license pass to the buyer for a fee of 10% of the annual license tax. Because the license follows the property, we confirm its status and renewal date with the city before taking on any Key West home for nightly or weekly stays. Want the whole property handled, not just short-term rental management? [Key West property management](/key-west/) covers short-term, long-term and everything between — one team, one point of contact. [Full short-term rental management details](/services/short-term-rental-management/) Free projection · Key West ## What could your Key West property earn? Send us the address and we'll come back with real numbers for it, using actual Key West data — from a person on our team, within one business day. Free, no obligation. Prefer to talk? [Call (321) 321-2348](tel:+13213212348) Included in Key West ## One rate. The whole service. 18–25% of booking revenue, quoted in writing before you sign — quoted for your property, in writing, before you sign anything. - Listing creation, copywriting and ongoing optimization - Professional photography coordination - Daily, demand-based pricing around Florida seasons and events - 24/7 guest communication and screening - Cleaning and turnovers by our own teams, with a quality check every stay - Linen service and restocking - Maintenance by our own staff — AC, pools, plumbing, repairs - Airbnb, Vrbo and Booking.com on one synchronized calendar - Review management - State license and local registration check at set-up - Monthly owner statements and payouts Key West questions ## Owning and renting in Key West Is Airbnb legal in Key West? Only at a property that holds a City of Key West transient business tax receipt. City Code §18-601 makes it unlawful to lease a residential property for less than 30 days or one calendar month without one, and says a state or county license alone is not enough. Advertising an unlicensed home for short stays is itself evidence of a violation under §18-602. What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Key West? Any Key West stay of six months or less, monthly ones included, owes 12.5%: Florida's 6% sales tax (§212.03), Monroe County's 1.5% discretionary sales surtax (DR-15DSS, 2026) and Monroe County's 5% tourist development tax (DR-15TDT). The tourist tax is filed with the Monroe County Tax Collector, which says online platforms do not remit it on the owner's behalf. Can I get a new transient license for my Key West home? Generally not. The city's zoning code (§122-1371) states that owners who never put their homes to transient use no longer have the opportunity to do so under the rate of growth ordinance, and the transfer rules in §122-1336 do not create new transient units. An existing transient license can pass to a buyer when the home is sold, for a fee of 10% of the annual license tax. ## Other services in Key West - [Airbnb Management in Key West](/services/airbnb-management/key-west/) - [Mid-Term Rental Management in Key West](/services/mid-term-rental-management/key-west/) - [Long-Term Rental Management in Key West](/services/long-term-rental-management/key-west/) - [Short-term rental management in Key West](/key-west/) ## Short-Term Rental Management nearby [Kissimmee](/services/short-term-rental-management/kissimmee/) [Miami](/services/short-term-rental-management/miami/) [Miami Beach](/services/short-term-rental-management/miami-beach/) [Naples](/services/short-term-rental-management/naples/) [New Smyrna Beach](/services/short-term-rental-management/new-smyrna-beach/) [Ocala](/services/short-term-rental-management/ocala/) [Orlando](/services/short-term-rental-management/orlando/) [Panama City Beach](/services/short-term-rental-management/panama-city-beach/) [Santa Rosa Beach](/services/short-term-rental-management/santa-rosa-beach/) [Siesta Key](/services/short-term-rental-management/siesta-key/) [St Augustine](/services/short-term-rental-management/st-augustine/) [St Petersburg](/services/short-term-rental-management/st-petersburg/) ## Get a free projection for your Key West property No obligation, no pressure — just the numbers, from a local team that manages here. 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