City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Fort Myers, FL
How Fort Myers 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 registration, permit or licensing ordinance in the city code
- City code references vacation rentals (Fla. Stat. 509.242) only to exclude them from its residential rental dwelling standards
- General local business tax receipt schedule applies to rental lodging businesses
- Florida law (Fla. Stat. 509.032(7)(b)) bars local STR prohibitions and duration/frequency rules
Based on: Fort Myers Code Sec. 54-422 (Ord. No. 3896, sec. 2, 4-19-2021); Sec. 82-205 local business tax schedule
Summary of the rule
(219) Hotels, motels, and apartments ... Hotels and motels, for each bedroom rented or offered for rent. 6.00
Last reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Fort Myers · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
Owners in Fort Myers
Following Fort Myers adds it to the Followed cities list on your ASTRO dashboard, linked to its city page.
Add a home to the ASTRO registry and confirm ownership of it.
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.