St. Augustine, FL Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Regulations 2026
Everything you need to know about operating a legal short-term rental in St. Augustine, Florida. Licensing, taxes, zoning, and 2026 compliance requirements.
St. Augustine STR Regulation Overview
St. Augustine, the nation's oldest city, is one of Florida's most consistent year-round tourism draws, blending Spanish colonial history with beaches just minutes away. For STR investors, the City of St. Augustine sits in a moderate regulatory tier: short-term rentals are fully legal but tightly tied to zoning. Nightly rentals are permitted in commercial and most non-residential districts, while the RS-1 and RS-2 single-family zones cap rentals at one week or longer and the HP-1 historic district allows only monthly-plus stays. Operators must register annually with the City, pass a St. Augustine Fire Department life-safety inspection, hold a Florida DBPR transient lodging license and a state sales-tax certificate, and collect 11.5% in combined lodging taxes. Registration runs about $303 plus roughly $79 per bedroom. Florida's statewide preemption rules continue to protect existing rental operations, making jurisdiction and zoning research the single most important step before buying here.
St. Augustine STR Quick Facts
| STR Legal? | Yes |
| License Required | Yes |
| License Cost | $303.03 base + $79.30/bedroom per year |
| Lodging Tax | 11.5% combined |
| Occupancy / Density Caps | No citywide cap on the number of registrations; occupancy is limited by unit size (studios/efficiencies capped at 2 occupants). Within RS-1/RS-2 districts nightly rentals are banned entirely. |
| Primary Residence Required | No |
Annual City Registration Required
Every dwelling unit used as a short-term vacation rental within the City of St. Augustine must register annually under ordinance 2019-50. Fees adopted in Resolution 2025-41 follow a tiered schedule: a $303.03 base rate plus $79.30 per rental bedroom, so a two-bedroom runs about $461.63. A $100 late-renewal fee and $50 re-inspection fee apply.
Zoning Dictates Minimum Stay
Nightly rentals are allowed only in commercial and most non-residential districts. In RS-1 and RS-2 single-family residential zones, rentals must be one week or longer (nightly is prohibited), and the HP-1 historic-preservation district permits only monthly-or-greater stays.
Fire Life-Safety Inspection
The St. Augustine Fire Department conducts a mandatory life-safety inspection at the time of registration and again annually at renewal. Properties must meet safety standards including visible address numbers, smoke alarms in each sleeping room and on each level, carbon monoxide detectors where applicable, and portable fire extinguishers on each level before approval.
State Licensing Stack
Beyond city registration, operators need a Florida DBPR transient public lodging establishment license, a Florida Department of Revenue sales-tax certificate, and a St. Johns County Local Business Tax Receipt. All must be current before the city will approve registration.
Lodging Taxes Around 11.5%
Hosts collect 6% Florida state sales tax, a 0.5% St. Johns County discretionary surtax, and the 5% St. Johns County Tourist Development Tax. The bed tax is remitted to the St. Johns County Tax Collector with returns due by the 20th of each month.
Occupancy Tied to Unit Size
There is no citywide cap on the number of rental registrations, but occupancy is governed by unit size. A studio or efficiency, defined as a dwelling unit containing only one habitable room, is limited to two occupants, with larger units scaled by bedroom count.
St. Augustine STR Market Performance
📊 See how St. Augustine compares across 58 STR markets →
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The City of St. Augustine permits short-term vacation rentals, but they must be registered annually, pass a fire life-safety inspection, and operate within the minimum-stay limits set by the property's zoning district. Nightly rentals are only allowed in commercial and most non-residential zones, not in RS-1 or RS-2 single-family districts.
City registration uses a tiered fee schedule adopted in Resolution 2025-41: a base rate of $303.03 plus $79.30 for each rental bedroom, renewed every 12 months. A studio costs about $303, a one-bedroom about $382, and a two-bedroom about $462. Late renewals add a $100 fee and re-inspections cost $50.
You collect roughly 11.5% combined: 6% Florida state sales tax, a 0.5% St. Johns County discretionary surtax, and the 5% St. Johns County Tourist Development (bed) tax. The Tourist Development Tax is filed monthly with the St. Johns County Tax Collector, due by the 20th of each month.
No. Zoning controls minimum stays. Nightly rentals are allowed only in commercial and most non-residential districts. RS-1 and RS-2 single-family zones require stays of one week or longer, and the HP-1 historic district allows only monthly-or-greater rentals. Confirm a property's zoning before purchasing.
No. St. Augustine does not impose a primary-residence requirement for short-term rentals, so non-resident and investor owners can operate. You still must complete city registration, pass the annual fire life-safety inspection, and hold the required state DBPR license and Department of Revenue sales-tax certificate.
Informational only — verify current rules with local authorities before investing. Sources: www.citystaug.com · www.sjcfl.us · sjctax.us · www.salestaxhandbook.com · www.airroi.com
Find a St. Augustine STR Expert Who Knows the Regulations
Navigate St. Augustine's short-term rental rules with confidence. Get matched with realtors who specialize in St. Augustine STR investments and local compliance.
Get Matched with a St. Augustine Agent