Short Term Rental Management in Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Palm Beach Gardens is our home city. LuxeHaus Stays is based here, so the short version is easy: we know the communities, the golf calendar, and the one question that decides whether a property here can be a short term rental at all. This is the owner’s read on Palm Beach Gardens, plus enough of the visitor picture to understand what books.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL at a glance

Population: ~59,000 (61k+ and growing); Source: US Census 2020; 2023 estimate ~61,100
County: Palm Beach, northern end
Incorporated: June 1959; Source: A master-planned "paper town"; the 1960 census counted one resident
Developer: John D. MacArthur; Source: The billionaire businessman who also developed neighboring North Palm Beach
Anchor landmarks: PGA National Resort, The Gardens Mall, Downtown at the Gardens
Public golf: Sandhill Crane Golf Club (city-owned); Source: City of Palm Beach Gardens
Vacation rental rules: No city-specific STR permit; county BTR + 6% TDT + state DBPR license; Source: City of Palm Beach Gardens; Palm Beach County Tax Collector

Where is Palm Beach Gardens, FL?

Palm Beach Gardens is a master-planned city in northern Palm Beach County, Florida, about 15 minutes north of West Palm Beach and a few minutes inland from the Intracoastal Waterway. Developed by John D. MacArthur and incorporated in 1959, it has roughly 59,000 residents and is known for PGA National Resort, championship golf, and two major shopping centers. Palm Beach International Airport is about 20 minutes south.

What Palm Beach Gardens is known for

Palm Beach Gardens is golf, green space, and a master plan. John D. MacArthur drew the city out of pine flatwoods and incorporated it in 1959; the 1960 census counted a single resident. What grew is a wide, low-density suburb organized around golf communities and two anchor shopping centers, with PGA National and the Cognizant Classic giving the city a national name. It runs younger and more family-oriented than quieter North Palm Beach next door.

Golf, and the PGA name to prove it

PGA National Resort sits at the center of the city, with five championship courses. The Champion course has hosted the 1983 Ryder Cup, the 1987 PGA Championship, and the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic (formerly the Honda Classic) every year since 2007. Golf is not a side amenity in Palm Beach Gardens; it is the city’s identity, and the tournament week in late February is the single biggest short term rental demand spike of the year here.
A master-planned suburb, not an old downtown

John D. MacArthur drew Palm Beach Gardens out of pine flatwoods and incorporated it in 1959. The 1960 census famously counted a single resident. What grew from that plan is a wide, green, low-density suburb organized around golf communities, parkways lined with pines, and two large shopping centers rather than a historic Main Street.
Shopping and dining built for the area

The Gardens Mall is the upscale enclosed mall for the whole north county. Across the road, Downtown at the Gardens (also branded Downtown Palm Beach Gardens) is the open-air center anchored by Whole Foods, REI, Lifetime Fitness, and a CMX cinema, with dozens of restaurants and shops. Between the two, Palm Beach Gardens is where North Palm Beach, Jupiter, and Juno Beach residents come to shop.
Family-skewing and business-anchored

Palm Beach Gardens runs younger and more family-oriented than quieter North Palm Beach next door, with strong schools, a large medical corridor anchored by the Gardens Medical Center and Scripps-area research and biotech employers nearby, and steady year-round business travel. That mix gives the submarket a broader booking base than a pure beach town.
Close to the water without being on it

Palm Beach Gardens is mainland, a few minutes west of the Intracoastal. Juno Beach and the public sand are 10 to 15 minutes east; Singer Island and John D. MacArthur Beach State Park are a similar drive. Palm Beach International Airport is about 20 minutes south. The city trades beachfront for space, golf, and a central location.

Palm Beach Gardens sits in the middle of the north county. North Palm Beach is the quieter waterfront village just east, Jupiter is the beachy lighthouse town 15 minutes north, and West Palm Beach is the larger city 15 minutes south. Each has different short term rental rules, which is exactly why the city you are in matters as much as the county.

Things to do

Palm Beach Gardens is a comfortable base more than a single destination. Golf and shopping happen in the city; the beaches and nature are a short drive east. For guests, that central position is the draw.

Catch the Cognizant Classic at PGA National

Late February into early March. The PGA Tour event formerly known as the Honda Classic, played on the Champion course with its famous "Bear Trap" finish. Rentals across Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, and Jupiter book solid for tournament week. This is the demand event of the year for the submarket.
Play Sandhill Crane Golf Club

The city owns a public par-72 course that winds through the Loxahatchee Slough wetlands, plus The Nest, an 18-hole par-3 designed by Jack Nicklaus. Public rates, open to non-residents, and an easier tee-time get than the resort courses. Book through the city golf site.
Shop The Gardens Mall and Downtown at the Gardens

The two anchor centers sit across PGA Boulevard from each other. The Gardens Mall is the enclosed upscale option; Downtown at the Gardens is the open-air dining and entertainment side with Whole Foods, a cinema, and a fountain plaza. Together they cover most of what visitors need without leaving the city.
Walk the Loxahatchee Slough and city greenways

Palm Beach Gardens kept a lot of green. The Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area and a network of city parks and bike paths give you flat, shaded walking and wildlife (the city’s namesake sandhill cranes included) without a long drive.
Reach the beaches in Juno and Singer Island

Juno Beach Pier, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, and the natural shoreline at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park are all 10 to 15 minutes east. Palm Beach Gardens is the comfortable, central base; the beach is the day trip.

Where to eat

Palm Beach Gardens eats well for an inland city. There is one real waterfront table, and then a cluster of serious kitchens inside PGA National Resort and along the PGA Boulevard corridor near the two shopping centers. Reservations matter in season (December through April), much less from May through October.

On the water

the River House. Palm Beach Gardens’ classic waterfront table, on the Intracoastal off PGA Boulevard since 1984. Two levels plus a tiki bar, fresh seafood and steaks, and boats passing the whole meal. In a mostly inland city, this is the water view.

Around town

Honeybelle (PGA National Resort). Seasonal American from Chef Lindsay Autry, a Top Chef alum and James Beard nominee. Wood-fired pizzas, salads, and the signature fried chicken. The resort dining room most non-guests still book.
The Butcher's Club (PGA National Resort). Modern steakhouse from Chef Jeremy Ford, a Top Chef winner with a Michelin star. Prime cuts in an Art Deco room. The big-night option inside the resort.
Coolinary. Chef Tim Lipman’s seasonal, farm-to-table American on Donald Ross Road. A small, chef-driven room that won Best New Restaurant when it opened in 2012 and still draws a serious local following.
Stage Kitchen & Bar. Chef Pushkar Marathe’s eclectic, Indian-rooted menu in PGA Commons. A James Beard semifinalist and a Michelin Guide listing. Shareable plates and curries alongside dishes pulled from his travels.
The Cooper. Farm-to-table American in PGA Commons. Locally sourced cooking, a big outdoor patio, and craft cocktails. The reliable, walk-in-friendly dinner.
Cafe Chardonnay. Contemporary American fine dining in the Garden Square Shoppes, open since 1986. A serious wine list and a long-standing local-occasion spot.
Seasons 52. Seasonal New American near The Gardens Mall. A rotating, lighter menu and a piano bar. Easy for a mixed group that cannot agree.
Yard House (Downtown at the Gardens). American gastropub with a long beer list and a broad menu. The casual, high-energy pick when you are already at Downtown at the Gardens.

When to come

December through April is peak. The biggest single spike is the Cognizant Classic at PGA National in late February into early March, when golf travelers fill the north county and rates climb. Late April and May are the quieter, better-value window. August and September are the slowest. Golf and business travel keep a base of demand even off-season, which is part of why this submarket holds up.

Peak: Dec through Apr

Guaranteed weather, snowbird season, peak rates. The Cognizant Classic at PGA National (late Feb into early Mar) and spring break are the biggest spikes. Book early and price for the tournament window specifically.

Sweet spot: late Apr, May

Snowbirds gone, hurricane risk still low, water warm. Rates ease off peak. The quieter, better-value window if a guest can choose.

Slow: Aug through Sep

Peak heat and peak hurricane risk, lowest crowds. Flexible, refundable bookings and a clear hurricane policy matter most here.

Shoulder: Oct, Nov, Jun, Jul

Cooler weather returns in October and Thanksgiving lifts late November back toward peak. Early summer is warm but pre-storm-season, and golf and business travel keep a base of demand year-round.

For Palm Beach Gardens property owners

Short term rental management in Palm Beach Gardens

Running a short term rental in Palm Beach Gardens is less about a city permit and more about your community association. Here is the full picture: the rules, the part most owners miss, and what we handle.

The city has no dedicated short term rental permit or registration program. The compliance stack for a Palm Beach Gardens short term rental is the statewide Florida DBPR vacation rental license, a Palm Beach County Business Tax Receipt, and a Palm Beach County Tourist Development Tax account at 6 percent. Owners are responsible for remitting county TDT on every booking, including Airbnb stays, because Airbnb does not collect county TDT in Palm Beach County.

The community association is usually the real gate. Many of the city’s gated and HOA communities (PGA National, BallenIsles, Mirasol, Frenchman’s Creek and Reserve, and Evergrene among them) restrict or prohibit short stays at the association level, often with minimum lease terms of 30, 90, or 180 days, even though the city itself does not. The association rule controls. The first thing to check on any Palm Beach Gardens property is the community’s recorded rules (CC&Rs, short for covenants, conditions, and restrictions) and the current rental policy for that specific community. It is the most common reason a home that looks like an obvious short term rental is not one.

Compared to neighbors, the city rule is light: North Palm Beach requires annual registration plus an October inspection, Tequesta charges $200 per bedroom, and Wellington charges $600 per unit, while Palm Beach Gardens leaves it to the county and your HOA. That makes Palm Beach Gardens straightforward where a property qualifies, and a dead end where the association says no.

Local rules and association policies change. Confirm current city requirements with Palm Beach Gardens at 561-799-4222, and read your community’s CC&Rs, before listing a new property.

What LuxeHaus does on this: for owners considering a Palm Beach Gardens property, we run the rental-policy and CC&R check before purchase to confirm whether short stays are even on the table. For properties that qualify, we handle the county BTR and TDT registration and remittance, the state license paperwork, pricing, both booking channels, guest communication, and cleaning oversight.

We are LuxeHaus Stays, based right here in Palm Beach Gardens. We run our own property on this coastline under the same playbook we run for owners, and we serve Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie counties. Our full-service short term rental management fee is 20% of gross booking revenue with no hidden costs. For the full operator’s view across the region, see what short term rental management in Palm Beach County takes. If you want to know what your Palm Beach Gardens property could earn, we will put together a free revenue estimate, no obligation.

Palm Beach Gardens, FL FAQ

Do you need a permit for an Airbnb in Palm Beach Gardens?

Palm Beach Gardens does not have its own short term rental permit or registration program. The compliance stack is the statewide Florida DBPR vacation rental license, a Palm Beach County Business Tax Receipt, and a Palm Beach County Tourist Development Tax account at 6 percent. Owners are responsible for remitting county TDT on every booking, including Airbnb stays, because Airbnb does not collect county TDT in Palm Beach County. HOA and community association rules are separate and are usually the real gating factor in Palm Beach Gardens. Always verify your community CC&Rs and confirm current city requirements before listing.

Can you run a short term rental in PGA National or the gated communities?

It depends entirely on the community. Many of Palm Beach Gardens’ gated and HOA communities (PGA National, BallenIsles, Mirasol, Frenchman’s Creek and Reserve, and Evergrene among them) restrict or prohibit short term rentals at the association level, often with minimum lease terms of 30 days, 90 days, or longer, even though the city itself has no STR permit. The association rule controls. Before buying or listing, read the CC&Rs and the current rental policy for the specific community. This is the single most important check in Palm Beach Gardens, and the most common reason a property that looks like an obvious STR is not one.

Is Palm Beach Gardens a good place to own a short term rental?

For the right property, yes. Demand drivers are real: PGA National and the Cognizant Classic, year-round golf, the medical and business corridor, and a central location 10 to 15 minutes from the beaches. The constraint is community rules. The properties that work are the ones in communities (or on streets) that allow short stays, or homes outside restrictive HOAs. Get the rental-policy question answered first; the revenue case is strong once the property clears it.

Is Palm Beach Gardens the same as West Palm Beach or the Town of Palm Beach?

No. Palm Beach Gardens is a separate city in northern Palm Beach County, incorporated in 1959, about 15 minutes north of West Palm Beach and inland from the barrier-island Town of Palm Beach. West Palm Beach restricts short term rentals in most residential zoning (a 6-month-and-1-day minimum); the Town of Palm Beach effectively prohibits them with a 3-month minimum. Palm Beach Gardens has no city STR permit, so the binding rules are the county requirements and your community association.

When is the biggest short term rental demand in Palm Beach Gardens?

December through April is peak. The single biggest spike is the Cognizant Classic at PGA National in late February into early March, when golf travelers fill the north county. Late April and May are the quieter, better-value window. August and September are the slowest months. Golf and business travel keep a base of demand even in the off-season.

How far is Palm Beach Gardens from the beach and the airport?

Juno Beach and the public sand are about 10 to 15 minutes east. Singer Island and John D. MacArthur Beach State Park are a similar drive. Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) is about 20 minutes south. A rental car is effectively required for guests who want to do more than golf and shop.

Sources and further reading

City of Palm Beach Gardens. Official city website, departments, and golf.
Sandhill Crane Golf Club. City-owned public course, rates, and tee times.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (Wikipedia). History, demographics, and geography.
PGA National Resort. Courses, championship history, and the Cognizant Classic.
Palm Beach County Tax Collector. Business Tax Receipt and Tourist Development Tax.