City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Clearwater, FL
How Clearwater 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.
- Rentals under 31 days prohibited in residential zones (CDC §3-919, adopted Apr 17, 2003) — pre-2011 rule survives FL preemption §509.032(7)(b)
- Narrow legacy transient-use exception (~31 parcels, non-transferable)
- STR confined to tourist and commercial districts
- Full process stack: BTR, zoning certificate, DBPR, TDT, local rep
Based on: Community Development Code (CDC) §1-104.B + §3-919 ('Prima Facie Evidence of Certain Uses in Residential Zoning
Summary of the rule
CDC §§1-104.B, 3-919 (as set out in the City of Clearwater Code Compliance Division citizen handbook, p.16, 'Short-Term Residential Rental'): 'A residential use located on a residentially zoned property shall not include rentals for less than 31 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, or which is advertised or held out to the public as a place rented for periods of less than 31 days or one calendar month, whichever is less. A residential use located on residentially zoned property shall not include an interval ownership, a fractional ownership or a timesharing unit.' The minimum stay is the lesser of 31 days or one calendar month (so in a 28-day month it is shorter than 31 days), and it also governs advertising. §3-919 was adopted by Ord. No. 7105-03 (4-17-03) and amended by Ord. No. 8042-09 (6-4-09), both before 2011-06-01.
Last reviewed Sep 10, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Clearwater · 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.