City Watch
Short-term rental rules in St. Petersburg, FL
How St. Petersburg 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 supply device: STR/transient use excluded from residential zoning + 3-rentals-per-365-day threshold (adopted 2001)
- rentals under 30 days more than 3x in a rolling 365-day period reclassify a dwelling as a hotel/motel use, which is not permitted in residential (RS/RT) districts
- hotel/motel (and thus unlimited STR) use permitted only in limited commercial/downtown districts (e.g. DC, CG) per LDR zoning matrix
- active enforcement posture (2023-2024 city proposals for STR 'super fines')
- bed-and-breakfast transient use requires on-site owner/manager residency (LDR 16.50.040)
Based on: St. Petersburg Code of Ordinances Ch. 16 (Land Development Regulations). Operative device is the definition of
Summary of the rule
Transient accommodation use is not permitted in residential zoning districts; it is governed via the §16.10.020.1 Use-Permissions Matrix (which carries the same 'more than three times in any consecutive 365-day period' threshold). Corroborating: §16.50.010.4 provides 'An accessory dwelling unit shall not be utilized as a transient accommodation use as defined and regulated by this chapter.' NOTE: §16.50.010 is 'Accessory Dwelling', not the transient device — the determining exclusion runs through the Matrix + §16.90.020.3 definition.
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Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring St. Petersburg · system last checked Nov 5, 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.