Wardstay / License guide
Updated November 2026
Florida vacation rental license: what Perdido Key and Pensacola Beach owners need
If you rent out a whole condo or house for short stays, Florida requires a vacation rental license from the state's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Here's who needs one, what it costs in Escambia County and how to apply.
$150
First-year cost for one unit if you apply between December 1 and May 31 (half-year fee).
$230
First-year cost for one unit if you apply between June 1 and November 30 (full-year fee).
June 1
Renewal date for every Escambia County license. Renewal is $180 a year for one unit.
1–2 days
Typical processing time for an online application. DBPR emails the license.
Who needs one?
You need a license if you rent the whole unit more than three times in a calendar year for stays shorter than 30 days or one calendar month, or if you advertise it as a place regularly rented to guests. Most whole-home Airbnb and VRBO listings meet one of those tests.
Renting out only single rooms isn't licensed by DBPR, though local rules may still apply.
Condo or dwelling?
- Vacation Rental – Condominium: a unit in a condominium or co-op building.
- Vacation Rental – Dwelling: a single-family house, a townhouse, or a unit in a building with four or fewer units.
An owner renting their own unit gets a Single license in their name. Rental managers can hold Group or Collective licenses that cover the units they rent for owners.
What it costs in Escambia County
A new license has three parts: a $50 application fee, a $10 hospitality education fee and the license fee. For one unit, the license fee is $170 for a full year or $90 for a half year.
Escambia County is in DBPR's District 6. Every license there renews on June 1, and the half-year fee applies to applications from December 1. So for one unit:
- $150 the first year if you apply December 1 through May 31
- $230 the first year if you apply June 1 through November 30
- $180 a year to renew ($10 education fee plus $170)
Applying in May means paying $150 and then $180 again on June 1. If you won't rent until after June 1, DBPR suggests waiting to apply.
How to apply
- Create a DBPR Online Services account in the owner's name. DBPR requires each rental address to be added through the license holder's own account.
- Choose the Condominium or Dwelling vacation rental application and enter the address of every unit.
- Pay the fees online.
- Watch your email. Online applications are usually approved in one to two business days, and the license is emailed to you.
- Post the license, or a copy, in a visible place in the unit.
State rules owners often miss
- Balcony inspections. Buildings of three or more stories need a Certificate of Balcony Inspection filed every three years, unless the balconies and stairs are condominium common elements.
- Fire safety. Smoke detectors in every unit, safe wiring and no extension cords.
- Turnovers. Clean linens for every guest, and dishes sanitized between guests or DBPR's exception notice posted.
- Cribs that meet federal safety standards.
- Training. Yearly human-trafficking awareness training for staff who clean the unit.
The license doesn't cover your taxes
The state license doesn't register you for Escambia County's 5% bed tax. That's a separate account with the Escambia County Clerk of Court, with a return due every month, even with no bookings. Read the bed-tax guide.
Airbnb collects Florida's state sales tax on its bookings. If you take bookings directly, you'll also need to register with the Florida Department of Revenue.
Sources: DBPR's vacation rental guide and fee schedule. Fees as of November 2026. Questions about your situation: DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants, (850) 487-1395. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Want it done for you?
For $199, Wardstay sets up your state license and county bed-tax account with you on one call. State license fees are separate and paid by you directly. After that, we can file your monthly bed tax for $20 a month.