You can pass the state vacation rental license, close on the house, and still own a property you are not allowed to rent short term. In Palm Beach County the state sets the floor, and each town builds its own rules on top. A few towns say no outright. Others say yes with a permit. A handful barely ask for anything.
If you are buying to run a short term rental, the town matters as much as the house. Here is where you can and cannot operate, so you check the map before you make an offer.
Where can’t you run a short term rental in Palm Beach County?
A short term rental in Florida is any rental of a whole home for periods of 30 days or less, more than three times a year. In Palm Beach County, two towns block that model no matter where the house sits. Two more block it in residential neighborhoods but still allow it in a narrow set of non-residential zones. The difference matters, so know which is which before you make an offer.
Jump to the full town-by-town table ↓
Blanket bans: rule these out entirely
- Town of Palm Beach. Three-month minimum rental, citywide. A 90-day floor makes nightly and weekly bookings impossible. Not a short term rental market.
- Lake Worth Beach. Short term rentals are not permitted. The city does not license them.
Residential is off-limits, but certain zones work: check the parcel
These two are not blanket bans. A standard residential house is out, but a property in the right zone can operate legally. Do not cross the whole city off on its name alone. Pull the parcel’s zoning first.
- West Palm Beach. The city code sets a six-month-and-one-day minimum rental period in most residential zoning districts. Short stays are allowed in a narrow set of transient-lodging and some commercial or mixed-use zones, which the city itself describes as a small fraction of its real estate. So most residential homes in West Palm Beach are off-limits, but a property already zoned for short stays is fine. Confirm the zoning before you buy.
- Boca Raton. Minimum 30-day stay in residential districts, enforced with escalating code fines of $1,000, then $2,500, then $5,000 and up for repeat violations (City of Boca Raton code enforcement). A standard residential house is off the table, though properties in certain non-residential zones can qualify. Confirm the parcel’s zoning.
The pattern: a house that looks perfect can sit inside a zone that forbids the exact use you are buying it for, and a house you would have skipped can be in a zone that allows it. Verify the parcel, not just the city name.
Why isn’t the state license enough?
Every short term rental in Florida needs a state license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Ours clears in one to two business days and costs about $230 a year. We break the process down in our Florida DBPR vacation rental license guide.
The license proves you meet the state standard. It says nothing about whether your town allows the rental. That is a separate layer, and it is where buyers get caught.
Why some towns can restrict short term rentals and others can’t
Florida law protects local rules that were already on the books. Under Florida Statute 509.032(7)(b), any city or county ordinance adopted on or before June 1, 2011 is grandfathered and stays fully enforceable. That is why long-standing bans in places like the Town of Palm Beach and Sewall’s Point hold up.
The state tried to take that power back. Senate Bill 280 would have blocked most local vacation rental rules statewide. Governor DeSantis vetoed it on June 27, 2024, writing that the bill would “prevent virtually all local regulation of vacation rentals even though the vacation rental markets are far from uniform across the state” (Executive Office of the Governor). The veto left local control in place. So the town-by-town patchwork is not going away, and checking the local layer is not optional.
Which towns allow short term rentals with an extra step?
Plenty of Palm Beach County towns say yes. They just want a permit, a registration, or an inspection first. The fees are small next to what a Florida short term rental earns, so treat these as a task on your closing checklist, not a reason to walk.
If you buy in one of these, add the local step:
- Tequesta. Vacation rental permit plus inspection. Fee runs about $200 per bedroom.
- Wellington. Vacation Rental Permit as a Special Use, plus an annual business tax receipt. One-time fee around $600 per unit.
- North Palm Beach. Registration plus an annual inspection.
- Boynton Beach. Business tax receipt plus a Certificate of Use and Occupancy.
- Delray Beach. Business tax receipt, about $190.
One wrinkle worth naming early: Wellington’s permit is a special-use approval, so confirm it is attainable for your specific address before you close. A quick call to the town does it. And in any of these towns, if the property sits in an HOA, read the association rules too. An HOA can restrict short term rentals on its own, no matter what the city allows. A property outside an HOA answers only to the city and county.
Where in Palm Beach County are short term rentals easiest?
Some of the best markets also carry the lightest local rules. In these areas there is no city-specific short term rental permit at all. You handle the state license, a Palm Beach County business tax receipt, and county tourist development tax, and that is the local layer.
- Palm Beach Gardens. No city short term rental permit. County business tax receipt and tourist development tax only.
- Jupiter. No town short term rental permit. County business tax receipt and tourist development tax only.
- Unincorporated Palm Beach County. County business tax receipt and tourist development tax.
These are the zones where a buyer has the most room to run, and they happen to be strong demand areas. Short term rentals in Palm Beach County earn anywhere from $39,000 to $144,000 a year, and the spread comes down to management more than the house, which we break down in our Palm Beach County Airbnb income report.
Have a specific address in mind?
Before you make an offer on a house in a legal town, know what it can actually book. We run a free revenue estimate on any Florida address, using real comparable data, not a guess. Get a free revenue estimate for your target address.
Looking wider? Martin and St Lucie in one glance
If your search runs north into Martin and St Lucie counties, the same two-layer logic applies. A few quick markers:
- Sewall’s Point (Martin). 180-day minimum stay, grandfathered before 2011. Not a short term rental market.
- Stuart (Martin). Registration with the city required.
- Fort Pierce (St Lucie). Registration required, about $350 to start and $200 a year to renew.
- Port St Lucie (St Lucie). No city short term rental rules. State license and county tax only, which makes it one of the easier markets in the region.
The full table: short term rental rules by town
Every jurisdiction above in one view, worst to best for a buyer who wants to run a short term rental.
| Jurisdiction | County | Status | Local requirement | Min stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Avoid | Prohibited citywide | 3 months |
| Lake Worth Beach | Palm Beach | Avoid | Not permitted | n/a |
| Sewall's Point | Martin | Avoid | Prohibited, grandfathered | 180 days |
| West Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Restricted | Residential prohibited; OK in some zones | 6 months + 1 day (residential) |
| Boca Raton | Palm Beach | Restricted | Residential prohibited (fines); some zones OK | 30 days (residential) |
| Tequesta | Palm Beach | Allowed, extra step | Permit + inspection | None |
| Wellington | Palm Beach | Allowed, extra step | Special-use permit + annual BTR | None |
| North Palm Beach | Palm Beach | Allowed, extra step | Registration + annual inspection | None |
| Boynton Beach | Palm Beach | Allowed, extra step | BTR + Certificate of Use | None |
| Delray Beach | Palm Beach | Allowed, extra step | Business tax receipt (~$190) | None |
| Stuart | Martin | Allowed, extra step | City registration | None |
| Fort Pierce | St Lucie | Allowed, extra step | Registration (~$350) | None |
| Palm Beach Gardens | Palm Beach | Easiest | County BTR + TDT only | None |
| Jupiter | Palm Beach | Easiest | County BTR + TDT only | None |
| Unincorporated PBC | Palm Beach | Easiest | County BTR + TDT | None |
| Port St Lucie | St Lucie | Easiest | State + county tax only | None |
Rules change, and zoning can differ parcel by parcel even inside a town that generally allows short term rentals. Confirm your specific address with the municipality.
Before you make an offer: a four-point check
Run this on any property before you sign:
- Confirm the municipality and the zoning. Not the mailing city, the actual jurisdiction and zoning district for that parcel. This is where the ban lives.
- Read the HOA or condo documents. An association can forbid short term rentals even in a town that allows them. City approval does not override the HOA.
- Verify the minimum-stay rule. A 30-day, 90-day, or 180-day floor ends the nightly-rental business no matter how strong the market is.
- Budget the full permit stack. State DBPR license, county business tax receipt, county tourist development tax, and any city permit or inspection. We cover the county tax layer in our Florida tourist development tax guide.
Once the property clears the compliance map, the day-to-day is its own job. That is the part we handle. See how short term rental management in Palm Beach County works, or the full scope of our management services.
Real estate agents
Sending this to a buyer client? We give free Florida revenue estimates and short term rental feasibility checks for your buyers, so you can steer them toward a house that can actually earn. Learn more about our agent program.
Frequently asked questions
Which areas of Palm Beach County restrict short term rentals?
The Town of Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach block short term rentals outright. West Palm Beach and Boca Raton prohibit them in residential zones but allow them in certain transient, commercial, or mixed-use zones, so the answer there depends on the specific parcel. Most other Palm Beach County towns allow short term rentals, some with a local permit or registration on top of the state license.
Where in Palm Beach County are short term rentals easiest to operate?
Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and unincorporated Palm Beach County have no city-specific short term rental permit. You handle the state DBPR license, a county business tax receipt, and county tourist development tax, and that is the full local layer. These are also strong demand areas, which is what makes them attractive to buyers.
Do I need a license to run an Airbnb in Palm Beach County?
Yes. Every short term rental needs a state DBPR vacation rental license, a Palm Beach County business tax receipt, and a county tourist development tax account. Some cities add their own permit or registration on top. The state license alone does not make you legal to operate.
Can an HOA ban short term rentals even if the city allows them?
Yes. A homeowners or condo association can prohibit short term rentals through its governing documents regardless of what the city allows. City or county approval does not override the HOA. A property outside an HOA answers only to the city and county. Always read the association rules before you buy.
This post is general information, not legal or tax advice. Local ordinances change and zoning can vary parcel by parcel. Confirm the current rules with the municipality, and your attorney or CPA where needed, before you make an offer.