City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Captiva, FL
How Captiva regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here are subject to registration, a lodging tax, or a small number of operating rules.
- No STR-specific device or process in the Lee County code: it contains no short-term or vacation-rental provision, and no STR registration ordinance (including the 'Ord. 18-01' sometimes cited) is in force
- Lee County LDC ch. 34 residential districts contain no transient or STR-use exclusion — residential short-term rental is a permitted residential use
- GOVERNING-JURISDICTION LODGING TAX (2026-09-14 correction): Captiva is an unincorporated Lee County CDP whose governing jurisdiction is Lee County, which levies a 5% tourist-development tax reaching STR stays — an STR-touching device that sets the tier to Light-touch
- Only general obligations otherwise: FL DBPR vacation-rental license + 6% state sales tax; cited occupancy/7-night items are private-HOA covenant leads, not county code
Based on: Lee County Code — no STR registration ordinance; STR permitted as a residential use
Summary of the rule
Captiva is an unincorporated Lee County CDP; its governing jurisdiction is Lee County, which levies a 5% tourist-development tax on short-term/transient rental stays (Fla. Stat. §125.0104 local option). This county lodging tax reaches STR stays and, per the 2026-09-14 governing-jurisdiction rule, sets the tier to Light-touch.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 14, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Captiva · system last checked Oct 24, 2026
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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.