Vacation Rental Registration Guidance

Qualifying vacation rentals must obtain a certificate of registration prior to advertising or operating as a vacation rental. Any single, two, three, and four-family dwelling unit within Residential Single and Multi-Family Zoning Districts citywide requires a vacation rental certificate of registration to advertise or operate as a vacation rental. These requirements DO NOT apply to owner occupied vacation rentals, condominiums, cooperatives, or properties rented for 30 consecutive days or more. If you are unsure if your property requires a certificate of registration, please email vacationrentals@sarasotafl.gov or call 941-263-6623.

 To look up the zoning district of your vacation rental, Click HERE to be directed to the Sarasota County Property Appraiser's site.  

To apply for an initial vacation rental certificate of registration, please review the Initial Application packet below before proceeding: 

Initial Application Packet (includes application instructions and required forms)(PDF, 1MB)

Once you have gathered the necessary documents, please click HERE to apply for an initial vacation rental certificate of registration.

If you wish to file in-person or via US mail, please gather all required documents and mail or deliver the completed application packet to:

City of Sarasota Vacation Rentals

1575 2nd Street, 3rd Floor

Sarasota, FL 34236

The annual renewal application period for all registered vacation rentals is July 1 - October 1. The renewal application must be submitted within this time frame to avoid a late filing fee. A renewed certificate of registration may require some additional documentation, but many of the items submitted with the initial application do not need to be resubmitted if the information on them is unchanged. Please review the renewal application packet below before proceeding: 

Renewal Application Packet (includes application instructions and Declaration of Owner form)(PDF, 343KB)

Once you have gathered the necessary documents, please click HERE to apply for a renewed vacation rental certificate of registration. 

An amendment of the initial or any renewed Certificate of Registration is required if any of the following changes to the vacation rental occur:

An application for an Amendment can be submitted via our online portal. Once the application has been reviewed, City staff will reach out if further information is needed.

• A change in ownership of a vacation rental requires the new owner to obtain a new initial certificate of registration. 
• Certificates of Registration are non-transferable and non-assignable. 
• When a vacation rental is sold or ownership is otherwise transferred, the new owner must apply for an initial Certificate of Registration prior to acquiring ownership or within fifteen (15) days from the date of the sale or transfer. A new inspection by the city is required. 

Upon time of application, the vacation rental owner/authorized representative must designate one or two individuals to serve as the Designated Responsible Party for the vacation rental. The duties of the Designated Responsible Party are outlined in Section 34.5-15 of the City Code.

• The vacation rental owner(s) may appoint himself, herself, or themselves as the designated responsible party or as one of two designated responsible parties or shall otherwise designate someone to act as the designated responsible party on his or her behalf.
• An owner may designate a private property management company to serve as the designated responsible party. In the event an owner so designates a property management company, the owner shall also designate one or two individual persons associated with the property management company as the designated responsible party or parties.
• The Designated Responsible Party must be available by telephone twenty-four (24) hours a day, seven (7) days a week to be capable of assisting with the resolution of any issues at the vacation rental, and must be available to come to the vacation rental within one (1) hour, or as soon thereafter as reasonably possible, to assist with finding solutions to the problems or issues associated with the vacation rental.

If the owner wishes to change the designated responsible party or parties, they must submit a Change of Designated Responsible Party form(PDF, 124KB)  via email to vacationrentals@sarasotafl.gov for processing. City staff will review the request and contact you if additional information is needed. 

Section 34.5-11 Schedule of Fees

Application

Inspections

Note: The fee for your initial inspection is included in the Application Fee for an initial or renewed vacation rental certificate of registration. Once the application has been approved and application fee has been paid, you must contact City staff to schedule the inspection. A vacation rental must be inspected prior to issuance of any initial or renewed certificate of registration.