City Watch
Short-term rental rules in DeFuniak Springs, FL
How DeFuniak Springs 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.
- City business tax receipt (Code Ch. 12) required for rental units — the definition reaches units rented by the day or week, i.e. whole-home STRs — a general, non-STR-specific business-tax layer
- No STR-specific ordinance anywhere in the Land Development Code (Chapter 18 has no transient, short-term or vacation-rental article)
- No supply device: whole-home STR permitted by-right as a single-family dwelling in R-1, no cap, no residency requirement, no separation/min-stay
- Lodging tax reaching stays is the Walton County Tourist Development Tax (North Walton 2% district) — a county levy, not the city's own device
Based on: DeFuniak Springs Code Ch. 12 (Licenses, Permits and Taxation), Art. II — Ord. No. 630 (6-12-1995); fee schedule Ord.
Summary of the rule
Sec. 12-3: 'There is hereby levied a business tax receipt in the amounts set out in this article for the privilege of engaging in or managing any business, profession or occupation within the city limits.' Sec. 12-1 'Rental unit': 'shall be construed to mean and include apartments, hotels, motels, motor courts, rooms, mobile home parks, offices, or other such units as may be rented or leased by the day, week, month, year or longer and located on one (1) lot, plot, or parcel of land.'
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 21, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring DeFuniak Springs · system last checked Oct 25, 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.