Brevard County, FL vacation rental rules: taxes, licenses, and town requirements
Renting out a place on the Space Coast means following three layers of rules: the State of Florida, Brevard County, and the city or town the property is in. The state and county pieces are the same for everyone. The local rules range from a detailed inspection program to almost nothing, so start by checking which jurisdiction you’re in.
State of Florida
- DBPR vacation rental license. A home or condo rented more than three times a year for stays under 30 days, or advertised that way, is a vacation rental and needs a license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
- Fire safety rules for public lodging, including hardwired smoke alarms, extinguishers, emergency lighting, and a posted evacuation diagram. See our Florida fire safety checklist.
- State sales tax on rentals: 6%, plus Brevard’s local surtax, on stays of six months or less. Register with the Florida Department of Revenue.
Brevard County
- Tourist Development Tax: 5% on stays of six months or less. Since October 2025 it’s filed with the Brevard County Clerk of Court, online, by the 20th of each following month. Register for an account through the Clerk’s tourist tax portal.
- Platforms collect some of it. Airbnb collects and pays Florida sales tax and Brevard’s tourist tax for bookings made on Airbnb. Vrbo collects the state tax and the county tourist tax. You still file for direct bookings, and you usually still need your own registrations.
- County business tax receipt. The Tax Collector issues one for most businesses; ask whether your rental needs one.
- Unincorporated areas: the county zoning code treats short-term rentals as “resort dwellings,” allowed in some zoning districts and not others. Check with county Zoning (321-633-2070) before you list a property outside town limits.
Beach towns
| Town | What to know |
|---|---|
| Melbourne Beach | Town certificate of compliance, scaled site sketch and floor plans, and a fire and life safety inspection every year. |
| Cocoa Beach | City registration with a per-guest fee, and a fire inspection every year. Applies citywide, including condos. |
| Satellite Beach | The city’s zoning code, as published, allows resort rentals in its RM-3 district east of A1A with a 30-day minimum stay, plus a state license, a city business tax receipt, and a posted local manager contact. Ask Community Development (321-773-4409) what applies to your property. |
| Indialantic | Rentals are covered by the town’s zoning code (Sec. 113-248), and businesses need a local business tax receipt with a fire inspection. Call Town Hall (321-723-2242) for the current requirements. |
| Other cities | Melbourne, Palm Bay, Cape Canaveral, Titusville, and others each set their own rules. Check with the city before you list. |
Sea turtle lighting
On or near the beach, county and town lighting ordinances limit lights visible from the beach during nesting season, which runs through October 31. Start dates and hours vary by town, so use your town’s rules, and leave guests a note to turn off beach-facing lights and close the blinds at night.
The paperwork the towns ask for
Evacuation diagrams, bedroom maps, floor plans, and a parking sketch come up again and again in Brevard rental applications and inspections. The FireEscapePlan.com rental kit makes all of them from one set of measurements.
Draw and check it free. $99 per property when you’re ready to print the kit.
Sources
- Brevard County Clerk of Court: Tourist development tax
- Brevard County Tax Collector: Tourist development tax
- Brevard County Tax Collector: Business tax receipts
- Brevard County: Resort dwelling zoning (legislation text)
- Florida Senate: SB 606 (2025) bill summary
- Airbnb: Occupancy tax collection in Florida
- Satellite Beach: Business tax receipts
- Town of Indialantic: Local business tax receipts
Guides are general information to help you prepare, not legal advice or an inspection. Your local fire marshal, building department, or licensing agency decides what applies to your property. See the disclaimer.