July 2026 Short-Term Rentals new business activity in Florida

Florida has more than 150,000 licensed short-term rentals, and new rental businesses are still registering across the state.

Every new rental adds steady local work: a cleaning company between guests, a property manager for the bookings, and a handyman, pool, lawn, or pest crew to keep it up to code. When a rental goes up, all of that has to be handled to keep it licensed and running.

The counts below show where new short-term rental businesses are registering, by region, over the last 30, 90, and 365 days. Under them is a snapshot of how big the market already is in cities around the state, then the recent news short-term rental owners are watching, and the kinds of businesses each change creates work for. The standing county and city rules live at the bottom, in Short-Term Rental Resources.

How big the short-term rental market already is in a spread of Florida cities: active listings, how full they run, and the average nightly rate. This is market data, not a formation count.

New developments short-term rental owners are watching right now, with the real date of each and the specific businesses it creates work for.

• Tampa Bay· 2026-06-16

  Manatee County advances a short-term rental ordinance

  On June 16, the Manatee County commission put a Short-Term Vacation Rental Ordinance tailored for the county in front of the board (agenda item 67, brought by the District 5 commissioner) and sent it to staff to revise and bring back an enforceable version. The proposal, shaped with the county attorney and the sheriff's office, would set legal, state-compliant rules for rentals in the unincorporated county. A new county rental ordinance brings fresh registration and inspection work. Each Manatee rental needs inspection-prep, a handyman, and a cleaning crew to pass the new rules and stay compliant. Clear, enforceable county rules give Florida safer, better-run rentals and a fairer deal for the neighbors who live around them.

  Source: Manatee County Board of County Commissioners

• Tampa Bay· 2026-06-09

  Indian Rocks Beach takes up short-term rentals again

  Short-term rentals were back before the Indian Rocks Beach city commission on June 9, with a short-term rental resolution on the agenda and public comment from residents and rental owners. The Pinellas County beach city runs a standing rental program and keeps returning to the rules as owners and neighbors press their case. Every move on a beach city's rental rules sends owners looking for help to register and stay compliant. Each Indian Rocks Beach rental needs inspection-prep, a handyman, and a cleaning crew to keep up. Steady local oversight keeps Florida's crowded beach rentals safe and licensed, which protects both the guests who visit and the year-round residents next door.

  Source: City of Indian Rocks Beach

• Northwest Florida· effective 2026-06-01

  Walton County moves vacation-rental renewals to a June 1 deadline

  Walton County moved its short-term vacation rental registration renewals to a single June 1 deadline, matching the state DBPR license cycle for the area. The county announced the new annual schedule on February 2, 2026, opened the renewal window on April 1, and set the first unified due date for June 1, 2026. The change covers 30A and other rentals in unincorporated Walton County. Owners renewing under the new June 1 schedule need registration and permit help, safety-inspection prep, handymen, and bookkeepers who track state and county filings. Aligning county renewals with the state DBPR license cycle makes rentals easier to track and keeps them safer and tax-compliant.

  Source: Walton County

• Statewide· reported 2026-05-22

  Florida visits slipped a little to start 2026

  The state tourism agency estimated 39.88 million travelers came to Florida in the first quarter of 2026, down 1% from a year earlier. That is the demand backdrop every rental owner is booking against this year. Softer visitor numbers mean owners have to work harder to fill their calendars. A property manager, a cleaning crew, and photo or listing help are what a rental needs to stand out in a tighter market. Tourism is Florida's economic engine, and even a small dip pushes rental owners to sharpen their properties and service, which keeps the state's visitor economy competitive.

  Source: VISIT FLORIDA

• Central Florida· announced 2026-05-07news report

  Orlando drew a record 76.7 million visitors in 2025

  Visit Orlando reported on May 7, 2026 that the Orlando area hosted 76.7 million visitors in 2025, its highest total ever and up 1.8% over 2024. Domestic visitation set its own record at 70.3 million travelers. The figures cover Orange County and the wider Orlando destination. Record visitor demand around Orlando keeps property managers, cleaning crews, linen services, pool and lawn crews, and tourist-tax bookkeepers in steady work. A strong, well-managed visitor economy in Central Florida supports local jobs and tax revenue that benefit the whole state.

  Source: Visit Orlando

• Southeast Florida· reported 2026-04-30news report

  Palm Beach County bed tax topped $10 million in April 2026

  Palm Beach County's Tourist Development Council reported April 2026 bed-tax collections of $10,170,402, up 10.15% over the same month in 2025. The county's fiscal-year total reached $77.8 million through April. The 6% bed tax is paid on hotel and short-term rental stays across the county. More rental nights across Palm Beach County means ongoing work for cleaning crews, handymen, pest and pool services, and bookkeepers who file the 6% bed tax. Reliable bed-tax collections fund beaches, marketing, and services that keep Florida's visitor economy healthy.

  Source: Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council

• Southwest Florida· reported 2026-04-30news report

  Fort Myers area tourist tax rose 17% from a year earlier

  The Regional Economic Research Institute at Florida Gulf Coast University reported that Lee County's seasonally adjusted tourist-tax revenue reached $4.3 million in April 2026. That is 17.3% above April 2025 and 6% above the prior month. The gain points to a rental recovery around Fort Myers and the beaches after the 2022 storms. A rebound in tourist-tax revenue around Fort Myers supports rebuild handymen, cleaning crews, linen services, and insurance agents who cover coastal short-term rentals. A recovering rental market in Southwest Florida returns storm-hit communities to a stronger visitor economy and tax base.

  Source: Florida Gulf Coast University, Regional Economic Research Institute

• Southwest Florida· reported 2026-04-30news report

  Collier County tourist tax up nearly 7% in April 2026

  The same Florida Gulf Coast University institute reported Collier County tourist-tax revenue of $4.0 million in April 2026, up 6.7% from April 2025 and 1.8% from March. The tax covers hotels and short-term rentals across the Naples, Marco Island, and Everglades area. Steady tourist-tax growth in the Naples and Marco Island area keeps property managers, cleaning and pool crews, and tourist-tax bookkeepers in demand. Growing tourist-tax collections help fund Collier County beaches and tourism programs that benefit Florida visitors and residents.

  Source: Florida Gulf Coast University, Regional Economic Research Institute

• Tampa Bay· 2026-04-15

  Hillsborough County weighs short-term rental registration

  On April 15, the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office gave commissioners a report (agenda item F-2, requested by Commissioner Cohen) on the county's options for Airbnbs and short-term rentals. The report explains that state law (Section 509.032, Florida Statutes) blocks the county from banning rentals or capping how often they rent, but that a registration requirement is not blocked by that preemption, leaving a registration program open to the county. If Tampa's biggest county stands up a registration program, thousands of owners will need help signing up and passing inspection. Each Hillsborough rental needs a registration helper, a handyman, and a cleaning crew to enroll and pass. A registration program gives Florida a clean roster of who is renting, which helps the state collect the taxes it is owed and keep unsafe rentals off the market.

  Source: Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners

• We count each business by the date it registered with the state, so this shows new business formation, not current listings.
• State records post about 2 weeks behind, so the last week or two will keep rising as more filings arrive.
• The more than 150,000 licensed short-term rentals is the number the state has on record with the Florida Division of Hotels and Restaurants, which lists every licensed rental and updates daily. The real number is higher, because not every rental is registered with the state.
• Counts cover active Florida businesses and update daily.

Statewide license source: Florida DBPR, Division of Hotels & Restaurants.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the most new short-term rental businesses forming in Florida?

This report ranks every Florida region by new short-term rental businesses and shows if activity is heating up or slowing down.

How many licensed short-term rentals does Florida have?

Florida has more than 150,000 licensed short-term rentals on record with the state Division of Hotels and Restaurants. That is the pool of homes that need cleaning, managing, and upkeep, and it grows as new rentals register.

Where does this data come from?

The formation counts come from official Florida business-registration records. We pull every new filing, sort it by industry and region, and update daily. We count a business by the date it registered with the state. The licensed-rental count comes from Florida DBPR.

Can I see the actual businesses?

Yes. You get the real filings, with business names, addresses, and officers, free for 7 days, with no credit card required. Start a free 7-day trial to see them.

The standing resources that govern Florida short-term rentals, starting with the statewide licensing, associations, and tax registration that apply everywhere, then the county and city rules and the local rental or tourism body for each busy region. This is the rulebook, not the news. Check it to see the resources a new rental uses, or share it with a new owner.