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Local guide

Key West Short-Term Rental Laws

Key West transient rental rules: verify the 2026 licensed-property list, medallion and BTR, zoning, fire report, Florida license, tax IDs, 24-hour contact, and transfers.

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Compliance layers

A Clear Answer, Then a Path Forward.

Critical Finding

See whether the property can operate now, what blocks it, and which exception may apply.

Address Context

Confirm zoning, current land use, jurisdiction, and the rules that actually govern the address.

Required Approvals

Get the permits, licenses, documents, inspections, and tax registrations needed before launch.

Recommended Path

Follow prioritized next steps, deadlines, renewal duties, and viable alternatives when rules change.

Occupancy tax calculator

Estimate occupancy tax in Key West, Florida

Enter the nightly rate and stay length to estimate the lodging taxes and guest total for this jurisdiction.

Gross rent$150.00 × 3 nights
$450.00
Mandatory taxable feesRequired cleaning, resort, or similar fees included in the tax base.
$0.00
Florida sales tax on transient accommodations (6%) $450.00 × 6%
$27.00
Monroe County discretionary sales surtax on transient accommodations (1.5%) $450.00 × 1.5%
$6.75
Monroe County tourist development tax (4%) $450.00 × 4%
$18.00
Monroe County tourist impact tax (1%) $450.00 × 1%
$4.50
Estimated taxes and fees
$56.25

Guest pays

$506.25

Assumptions used

  • Ordinary transient base case: The estimate uses the listed source-backed tax lines for an ordinary taxable transient stay in the jurisdiction boundary. It does not infer an address, parcel, tax district, or property class from the city name.

What may change the final amount

  • Local district applicability. Florida county discretionary-surtax and tourist-development layers can vary by property address, incorporated boundary, or tourist-development district. The calculator models only the common source-backed layers listed above; verify the parcel with the local collector before treating the estimate as final.
  • Stay and mandatory-fee treatment. A qualifying long-term or continuous-residence stay, statutory exemption, marketplace collection arrangement, or a mandatory-fee category treated differently by the authority can change the result. The calculator assumes an ordinary transient taxable stay and one mandatory-fee pool.
Open the full occupancy tax calculator

Estimated tax is $56.25. Estimated guest total is $506.25.

Estimate only. Verify the property jurisdiction, exemptions, taxable charges, filing duties, and marketplace collection with the linked official sources.

Decision rule

Key West STR status: the answer first

Key West does not offer a simple new-host registration for any residential address. Before buying or advertising, verify the exact property on the city’s 2026 transient-licensed-property list and confirm the number and type of authorized units with Licensing; lawful transient use generally depends on an existing license or medallion tied to the property.

The city’s public map page describes transient accommodation as rental for less than 30 days or one calendar month, while codified land-development provisions use a less-than-28-day definition in several places. Because advertising alone can trigger the transient-use rules, do not choose a minimum stay from one excerpt—obtain written city confirmation for the address and rental pattern.

Key West treats a unit as transient lodging when it is rented, advertised, or held out for short transient stays. Current public and code wording is not perfectly aligned on the day threshold, so the safest operational boundary is the property’s city license and a written interpretation from Licensing or Planning.

  • Property-specific transient authorization must already exist or qualify for transfer

    Operate only when the address, unit count, zoning, city Business Tax Receipt and transient license or medallion, fire approval, state lodging license, and tax records all support the same transient use.

    Warning

The Key West rules that change the decision

These facts determine whether the address qualifies, what the owner pays, and which work must happen before a listing can go live.

Start with the licensed-property list
A Key West address alone is not transient authorityThe city publishes 2026 licensed properties and asks owners to confirm unit counts with Licensing.
Advertising can establish transient use
An actual completed stay is not the only triggerThe city definition includes property held out to the public for transient rental.
Medallion and exterior contact posting
Residential transient properties display city authorizationThe code requires a public-facing medallion and 24/7 contact information, subject to the applicable license type.
Transfer is a regulated process
A license does not silently follow a deed or move to another siteOwnership and site transfers require the current city application, attachments, approvals, and fees.
Day-threshold wording conflict
Public page says less than 30 days or one calendar month; code provisions reference less than 28Resolve the controlling rule with the city before setting stay length or advertising.

Address and property eligibility in Key West

Complete these gates before buying services, paying a non-refundable charge, or copying a prior owner’s setup.

  • Key West eligibility gate 1

    Search the current city transient-property list for the exact street address and verify the number and category of authorized units with Licensing.

    Required

  • Key West eligibility gate 2

    Confirm zoning and lawful transient history through Planning rather than inferring rights from a prior listing or state license.

    Required

  • Key West eligibility gate 3

    Match the current owner, Business Tax Receipt, transient license or medallion, unit configuration, fire approval, and operator to the same property.

    Required

  • Key West eligibility gate 4

    For a purchase or proposed relocation of transient units, review the dedicated transfer application before assuming the authorization can move.

    Required

  • Key West eligibility gate 5

    Resolve the less-than-30 versus less-than-28 wording with the responsible city office for the intended rental agreement and advertisement.

    Required

Approvals and records that must agree

Key West compliance is a stack of separate records. Keep the legal owner, address, rentable space, dates, and contacts consistent across all of them.

City property confirmation
Verify address, licensed unit count, license category, zoning, and transfer status with Key West.
Business and regulatory licenses
Maintain the city BTR and the applicable transient license or medallion.
Fire and property evidence
Keep the approved fire report, floor area, rooms, kitchens, and on-site parking evidence required by the code.
Florida and tax records
Maintain the Florida DBPR lodging license and Department of Revenue sales-tax identification.
Operator and guest controls
Post the 24-hour contact and use a written rental agreement incorporating applicable regulations.

A workable Key West compliance sequence

Use this sequence to verify the existing authorization before advertising the property.

  1. Verify the address against 2026 city records

    Use the official map/list and contact Licensing to confirm how many transient licenses exist for the property.

  2. Resolve zoning, history, and day threshold

    Ask Planning or Licensing to confirm the lawful transient use, controlling stay definition, and any nonconforming or special status.

  3. Audit every linked credential

    Match the BTR, medallion or license, fire report, DBPR license, sales-tax ID, ownership, and operator to the same units.

  4. Use the transfer process when facts change

    For a sale, license transfer, or receiver-site proposal, follow the current five-page application and its survey, plan, deed, lender, and association attachments.

  5. Publish only the authorized configuration

    Advertise the confirmed unit count and stay pattern, post the medallion and 24-hour contact, and preserve written guest agreements.

Tax and marketplace handling for Key West

A permit, tax account, platform collection, and filed return are different records. Reconcile them at booking level.

Key West transient operation intersects Florida DBPR licensing, Florida sales tax, Monroe County requirements, and the city BTR and regulatory license. A booking platform does not prove that the property holds a transferable city transient right. Reconcile the legal unit, owner, direct and marketplace receipts, state returns, and local business records before treating tax collection as complete.

  • Collection does not prove filing or land-use authority

    Keep a dated record of who collected each tax, who filed each return, and which official account covers the exact Key West property.

    Warning

Operating controls and enforcement exposure

Translate the approval into repeatable listing, guest, contact, physical-property, tax, and renewal controls.

Key West code makes it unlawful to advertise an unpermitted residential dwelling for transient rental and ties regulatory consequences to owners, operators, brokers, and agents. Delinquent medallion renewals accrue published percentage penalties, while unlawful advertising or operation can create separate zoning, licensing, tax, and business-receipt exposure.

  • Key West operating control 1

    Display the applicable transient medallion and public 24-hour contact as required for the licensed residential property.

    Required

  • Key West operating control 2

    Keep the contact available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond promptly to occupancy complaints.

    Required

  • Key West operating control 3

    Use a written lease or rental agreement that incorporates the applicable Key West transient regulations.

    Required

  • Key West operating control 4

    Do not advertise a unit, bedroom, or stay pattern beyond the exact city-authorized configuration.

    Required

  • Key West operating control 5

    Renew the BTR and transient medallion by the applicable annual deadline and preserve fire, state-license, and tax evidence.

    Required

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

For a Key West property, Operate only when the address, unit count, zoning, city Business Tax Receipt and transient license or medallion, fire approval, state lodging license, and tax records all support the same transient use. Search the current city transient-property list for the exact street address and verify the number and category of authorized units with Licensing.

Search the current city transient-property list for the exact street address and verify the number and category of authorized units with Licensing. Confirm zoning and lawful transient history through Planning rather than inferring rights from a prior listing or state license.

Varies by BTR, medallion, inspection/enforcement, transfer, and current city resolutions; confirm with Licensing.. Recheck the official fee source before payment because related tax, inspection, land-use, portal, or professional costs may be separate.

No. Key West transient operation intersects Florida DBPR licensing, Florida sales tax, Monroe County requirements, and the city BTR and regulatory license. A booking platform does not prove that the property holds a transferable city transient right. Reconcile the legal unit, owner, direct and marketplace receipts, state returns, and local business records before treating tax collection as complete.

The Key West official sources were rechecked on August 11, 2026. The next scheduled source review is 2026-09-10, or sooner after a city notice, fee change, ownership change, portal update, or enforcement action.