City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Clearwater Beach, FL
How Clearwater Beach regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Rules here limit which homes may operate as short-term rentals, how many, where, or for how many nights a year.
- residential-zone exclusion of whole-home STR (by-right transient lodging confined to Tourist/Commercial districts)
- owner-occupied accessory-only in residential zones (overnight accommodations must be accessory to a principal private residence)
- discretionary Flexible Development approval required for residential overnight accommodations, capped at 4-10 units
- STR business-tax-receipt registration + inspection required (Art. 3 Div. 23)
Based on: City of Clearwater Community Development Code — determining device = Art. 8 §8-102 Definitions (nodeId
Summary of the rule
VERBATIM §8-102: 'Dwelling unit means a building or portion of a building providing independent living facilities for one family ... A dwelling unit located on residentially zoned property shall be used only for a residential use, unless otherwise specified, and shall not be used or occupied in interval ownership, in fractional ownership, or as a timesharing unit.' and 'Dwellings, resort attached means an attached dwelling use located in the Tourist (T) zoning district the occupancy of which may occur or which may be offered or advertised as being available for any term.' Together these confine any-term / short-term dwelling occupancy to the Tourist (T) district and restrict residentially zoned dwellings to residential use.
Last reviewed Sep 25, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Clearwater Beach · 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.