Vacation Rental Program

NOTICE: Please be aware that the processing time for Vacation Rental applications and renewals may take approximately 10-12 business days during the peak renewal season (August through September). We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period.

 

Background Information

Through the administration and enforcement of the Vacation Rental Registration Program, the Community Enhancement and Compliance Division ensures that vacation rental operators are current with their State/local licenses and tax requirements. The division also ensures that each vacation rental property meets minimum housing and life safety standards outlined in Article X – Vacation Rentals, of Chapter 15 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Fort Lauderdale. Ordinance-No-C-26-39.pdf(PDF, 890KB)  is the ordinance that governs the administration and enforcement of the City's Vacation Rental Registration Program. The fee schedule for the program can be found in Vacation Rental Fee Resolution 17-81.

Who is Required to Register?

Any residential single-family, two-family, three-family, or four-family house or dwelling unit, or condominium being advertised for periods of 30 days or less to transient occupants but is not a timeshare.

Vacation rental concerns may be reported via email at VRInfo@fortlauderdale.gov.

To make a vacation rental complaint, contact the 24/7 Vacation Rental Hotline at 1-800-685-7453. This line is only for complaints relating to a vacation rental property.

To check the status of your application, please emailvacationrental@fortlauderdale.gov.

Vacation Rental Ordinance Amendment

On September 15, 2026, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission approved an amendment to the City’s Vacation Rental Ordinance. The approved amendments include:

  1. Establishing a civil penalty of $1,000 per day for advertising, renting, leasing, or otherwise operating a vacation rental without a valid City-issued Vacation Rental Certificate of Compliance. 
  2. Increases the civil penalty of $250 to $1,000 per day for operating a vacation rental with an expired certificate. 
  3. Protecting operators who submit complete and timely renewal applications from penalties when the renewal remains pending solely due to the City’s processing time.
  4. Clarifying that changes in property ownership, business entity, management company, or other parties associated with a vacation rental do not eliminate existing compliance obligations or enforcement consequences.
  5. Correcting and clarifying provisions related to the suspension of a Vacation Rental Certificate of Compliance.

These amendments are intended to support responsible operators who comply with the City’s established requirements while strengthening enforcement against unregistered and noncompliant vacation rental activity.
See Ordinance-No-C-26-39.pdf(PDF, 890KB) and Vacation Rental Ordinance Amendment(PDF, 195KB). 

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