City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Marathon, FL
How Marathon 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.
- Pre-2011 grandfathered duration device: rentals under 7 nights PROHIBITED (Ord. 2010-14, adopted 2011-01-11, before 2011-06-01 preemption cutoff)
- Vacation-rental license mandatory (Chapter 8, Art. II) with Vacation Rental Certificate + rental-agent license
- Area of Critical State Concern: BPAS/ROGO caps total new residential dwelling units (state-imposed building-permit allocation, supply-constraining backdrop)
- Minimum 7-night / maximum 28-night rental window defines a lawful vacation rental
- Annual inspection + occupancy caps + fee-scheduled licensing regime
Based on: Marathon Code of Ordinances Ch. 8 (Businesses), Art. II — Vacation Rentals; created by Ord. 2010-14, adopted by the
Summary of the rule
Renting any private residence for less than 7 nights is prohibited; a vacation rental is defined as a rental of not less than 7 and not more than 28 nights.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Marathon · system last checked Nov 9, 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.