City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Cape Coral, FL
How Cape Coral regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- mandatory annual STR registration with City Clerk
- $350 annual STR registration fee (vs $35 long-term)
- escalating fines: $1,000 first offense / $2,000 repeat within 36 months, per-day counting
- STR defined as rental of 6 months or less; program is registration/process only, no supply cap
Based on: Ordinance 53-25 + Resolution 279-25 (rental property registration), adopted 2025, effective 2026-01-01
Summary of the rule
Annual registration of all residential rentals with City Clerk via Energov CSS portal; STR (6 months or less) fee $350/yr, long-term $35/yr
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Cape Coral · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.