Melbourne Beach, FL vacation rental requirements: registration, inspection, and fire safety

Updated October 26, 2026 · 8 min read

The Town of Melbourne Beach has one of the more detailed vacation rental programs on the Space Coast. Every rental needs a town certificate of compliance, scaled drawings of the property, and a fire and life safety inspection when it registers and every year after. Here is what that involves, from the town’s own ordinance and inspection guide.

The rules in brief

Vacation rentals are governed by Chapter 74 of the Town Code, last updated by Ordinance 2024-05 in February 2025. The town doesn’t ban rentals or set a minimum stay, which state law generally doesn’t allow, but it does require registration, inspections, and house rules for every rental.

Register for a certificate of compliance

You apply and renew online through the town’s vacation rental portal. The certificate lasts one year, and your town registration number has to appear in every listing. The town charges an application fee, an annual renewal fee, and an inspection fee; see the current fee schedule linked below. Before you apply, have these ready:

Your Florida DBPR vacation rental license.
Your Florida Department of Revenue sales tax registration.
Your Brevard County Tourist Development Tax account. See the Brevard County guide.
A business tax receipt, proof of ownership, and a notarized affidavit.

The drawings you submit

The application asks for two kinds of scaled drawings. Hand-drawn sketches have been accepted, but they need to be clear and to scale:

An exterior site sketch showing the buildings, pool or spa, fencing, propane tanks, fire pits, and the off-street parking spaces (10 by 20 feet each).
A floor plan of each floor showing numbered bedrooms, windows, doors and exits, smoke and CO alarms, and fire extinguishers.

A site and parking plan from the FireEscapePlan.com rental kit: lot lines, building, driveway, numbered spaces, pool, and fences.

The inspection checklist

The town (or its contractor) inspects for Florida Building Code and fire and life safety compliance after you register and every year after renewal. You have to make the unit available within 20 days of the town’s notice. The town’s September 2025 pre-inspection guide lists what they look for:

Smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside the bedrooms, and in common areas, hardwired with battery backup and interconnected.
CO alarms within 10 feet of each bedroom entry, plus one near any gas appliance.
Electrician and permit: hardwired alarms and emergency lights must be installed by a licensed electrician under a town permit.
Emergency lighting that runs at least one hour on battery and lights the path to the main exit. Plug-in units aren’t accepted.
Fire extinguishers: at least one 2A:10B:C on each floor, mounted, and tagged every year by a service company.
A posted evacuation diagram, at least 8.5 by 11 inches, on or near the primary exit door. A “you are here” map by each bedroom door helps guests too.
Escape windows: a primary exit and a secondary way out, with escape openings of at least 5.7 square feet, 20 inches wide, 24 inches high, and a sill no higher than 44 inches. See escape window sizes.
Locks: thumb-turn deadbolts and one lock per door.
House numbers at least 6 inches tall, with a half-inch stroke, in a contrasting color, visible from the road. The street address must also be posted inside, in the kitchen and each bathroom, and at the pool area, so guests can give it to 911.
Grills and fire pits at least 10 feet from the building or any overhead cover, and no propane or flammables stored inside.
Pools with at least one approved safety feature: a pool alarm, door and window exit alarms, a 4-foot barrier, self-latching doors, or a safety cover, and a pool safety rules sign posted at the pool.

House rules for guests

Occupancy: two people per bedroom, and no more than 10 in total. Listings must state the limit.
Parking: up to four vehicles, including boats and trailers, on the driveway only. No street or grass parking.
Responsible party: someone reachable 24/7 who responds to life safety, noise, or parking problems within an hour.
Guest screening: a sex offender registry check on adult guests before check-in.
Postings inside: contact numbers, occupancy and vehicle limits with a parking sketch, the evacuation route, and notices on noise, rip currents, pools, trash days, and sea turtle lighting. The town provides the posting forms.
Sea turtle season: from March 1 to October 31, lights visible from the beach must be off or shielded after 9 p.m.

Make the drawings and maps from one set of measurements

The FireEscapePlan.com rental kit draws the scaled site and parking sketch, a floor plan of each floor with the alarms and extinguishers marked, and a “you are here” evacuation map for every bedroom door. It also checks the plan against the common failures above, like a CO alarm too far from a bedroom door, before the inspector visits.

Make your rental’s maps and plans

Draw and check it free. $99 per property when you’re ready to print the kit.

Start my rental’s plan

Sources

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.

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