Is Short-Term Rental Legal in Your City?
Every STR investor asks this first. We answer it — licensing costs, tax burdens, minimum stays, zoning restrictions, and pending legislation for key US vacation markets, with more added based on subscriber requests.
Check before you buy.
Select state, then city
Sample coverage: 5 Florida markets · Nashville · Asheville · Finger Lakes. Full database covers 35+ US markets.
Information is sourced from publicly available municipal, county, state, and federal sources. This is not legal advice — always confirm with the municipality before purchase.
Regulation is the highest-risk variable in STR
AirDNA, Rabbu, Mashvisor, BNBCalc — none of them tell you if the property you're about to buy is even legal to rent. We do.
Avoid six-figure fines
Cities like Miami Beach fine up to $100,000 for repeat violations. Key West exceeds $20K. Knowing the rules before you buy prevents career-ending mistakes.
License the property accurately
Every jurisdiction has its own permit. Vacation Rental Certificate, BTR, STRP, Home Share — we track the exact license name, cost, and renewal cadence.
Model real cash flow
Combined tax burdens range from 11% to 17%. That gap is enough to turn a cash-flowing property into a break-even disaster. Factor it into your pro-forma before you offer.
Spot the pending bills
State pre-emption and municipal ordinance reviews can change the game overnight. We track pending legislation so you know what could shift before you close.
Get alerts when your city's STR rules change
One email per month, only when something meaningful changes in the markets you care about. Plus the STR Legality Checklist as a welcome gift.
Considering STR property?
Talk to Barefoot Realty.
Barefoot Realty & Investments specializes in STR-ready properties in Florida's top vacation markets. We find the ones that actually cash flow — compliant, rentable, and underpriced.
Learn More →Frequently Asked Questions
No. This tool is a research starting point built from publicly available municipal, county, and state sources. Regulations change frequently. Always verify current rules with the issuing municipality and consult a licensed attorney and CPA before purchasing property or operating a short-term rental.
Every city is re-verified on a rotating monthly cadence. Each record shows a "Last Updated" date. Any record more than 180 days old is flagged as outdated.
Florida is deepest. We also cover Tennessee, North Carolina, New York, California, South Carolina, and Utah — and we expand based on subscriber requests.
Drop your email below and tell us the city. High-demand requests get prioritized in the next monthly build cycle.
The database focuses on short-term rentals (under-30-day stays). Some records note where medium-term and long-term rules differ. For commercial or mixed-use, confirm with a local attorney.