City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Lakeland, FL
How Lakeland 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 ordinance, registration, or permit anywhere in the city code or Land Development Code
- Citywide local business tax receipt duty reaches every business operating in the city (Code Sec. 18-27)
- Whole-home STR falls under the ordinary single-family dwelling use, permitted by right in all single-family districts
- City levies no lodging tax of its own (Polk County TDT is county-levied)
Based on: Code of Ordinances Ch. 18, Art. II 'Business Tax Receipts' Secs. 18-26 et seq. (Ord. No. 5449, sec. 1, 2014-07-07
Summary of the rule
A tax is hereby imposed upon each and every business, profession and occupation engaged in or carried on, either wholly or in part, within the corporate limits of the city in the respective amounts set forth in this article.
Last reviewed Oct 22, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Lakeland · 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.