Wardstay / Bed-tax guide
Updated November 2026
Escambia County bed tax: what Airbnb and VRBO owners have to file
If you rent a condo or house on Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach or anywhere else in Escambia County for six months or less, you owe the county's tourist development tax (TDT). Airbnb doesn't file it for you. Here's how it works, in plain English.
5%
Of the rent and cleaning fee. The rate went from 4% to 5% on April 1, 2021.
20th
Of the following month. A return filed after the 20th is late.
$0 months
Still need a return. A "zero return" is required even with no bookings.
$50+
Minimum late penalty, plus interest. It grows 10% of the tax for every 30 days late.
Who has to pay it?
Anyone who rents out a condo, house, apartment or similar place in Escambia County for six months or less. That includes Perdido Key, Pensacola Beach (Santa Rosa Island) and Pensacola. It applies whether you rent through Airbnb, VRBO or directly.
Navarre Beach is different: it's in Santa Rosa County, which runs its own tax.
Doesn't Airbnb collect it?
Airbnb collects Florida's state sales tax on your bookings, but not Escambia County's tourist development tax. The county holds you, the owner, responsible for collecting it from guests and paying it to the Escambia County Clerk of Court.
Many owners add the 5% to their listing so guests pay it, then file and pay the county each month from their own account.
When is it due?
- Returns are due on the 1st of the month after the rental month. For example, June's rentals are due July 1.
- A return is late if it isn't filed by the 20th. If the 20th falls on a weekend or holiday, you have until the next business day.
- File on time and you keep a small collection allowance: 2.5% of the tax due, up to $30.
What if I had no bookings?
You still file. The county requires a return for every period, showing zero rent if nobody stayed. The only way to stop is to file an affidavit with the Clerk to make your account inactive. This is the rule that catches most out-of-town owners.
What happens if I file late?
The penalty is 10% of the tax due for every 30 days (or part of 30 days) you're late, up to 50% of the tax, or $50, whichever is greater. Interest is added too, and you lose the collection allowance. Owners who never registered can get a bill for years of back tax.
How to register and file
- Get your Florida vacation rental license from the state (DBPR).
- Open a tourist development tax account with the Escambia County Clerk of Court's TDT office.
- File each return online through the county's Excise system and pay from your bank account.
- Set a reminder for the 20th of every month, or hand it off.
Escambia County Clerk of Court, Tourist Development Tax: 221 Palafox Place, Suite 110, Pensacola, FL 32502 · (850) 595-4829. Rules can change. Check with the Clerk's office for your situation. This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice.
Want this off your plate?
Wardstay files your Escambia County return every period for $20 a month, sends you a copy and reminds you before anything is due. Not registered yet? We set up your state license and county tax account for $199.