Orlando & Kissimmee Short-Term Rental Laws (2026)

Can you operate a short-term rental in Orlando & Kissimmee?

There is no single 'Orlando' STR rule — each sub-jurisdiction sets its own zoning regime on top of Florida's statewide DBPR vacation rental license. The City of Orlando permits host-present home sharing in residential zones via its Home Sharing Registration program, reserving whole-home short-term rentals ('commercial dwelling units') for certain non-residential/mixed-use zones. Kissimmee and unincorporated Osceola County allow whole-home vacation rentals in designated short-term rental and tourist-oriented zoning districts, which is why the Disney corridor is dense with vacation homes.

Permits & licenses in Orlando & Kissimmee

Expect a layered process: confirm which sub-jurisdiction and zoning district the property is in, obtain the statewide DBPR vacation rental license, complete any city/county registration, then set up state sales tax and county Tourist Development Tax accounts before hosting.

1. 1

   Confirm sub-jurisdiction and zoning

   Determine whether the property is in the City of Orlando, unincorporated Orange County, the City of Kissimmee, or unincorporated Osceola County, and verify its zoning district allows the STR type you plan (host-present home share vs. whole-home vacation rental).

2. 2

   Obtain Florida DBPR vacation rental license

   For whole-home or condo vacation rentals, apply for a vacation rental license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation before operating; a fee applies (see DBPR).

3. 3

   Complete local registration

   In the City of Orlando, register through the Home Sharing Registration program (or pursue commercial dwelling unit approval in eligible zones). In Orange County, Kissimmee, or Osceola County, complete the applicable county/city STR registration or zoning approval process.

4. 4

   Register for Florida sales tax

   Register with the Florida Department of Revenue to collect state transient rental (sales) tax and any county discretionary surtax on stays of six months or less, unless a platform verifiably collects it for all your bookings.

5. 5

   Open a Tourist Development Tax account

   Register a TDT account with the Orange County Comptroller (Orange County properties) or the Osceola County Tax Collector (Kissimmee/Osceola properties) and begin filing returns; Osceola explicitly states it is not contracted with Airbnb or VRBO, so the host remits directly.

Fees: Fees apply at multiple layers — DBPR license, local registration, and tax account setup; exact amounts were not confirmed from official pages in this research session, so check each agency's current fee schedule.

Short-term rental taxes in Orlando & Kissimmee

Short-term stays (six months or less) carry Florida state sales tax plus a 6% county Tourist Development Tax in both Orange and Osceola counties. Critically, Osceola County states it is not contracted with Airbnb, VRBO, or other platforms — the person receiving the rent must remit TDT directly regardless of booking channel.

Operating rules

Penalties for illegal short-term rentals in Orlando & Kissimmee

Tax delinquency carries defined monetary penalties, and operating without required local registration or a DBPR license exposes the owner to code enforcement and state licensing action. Enforcement is real in this market given the volume of vacation rentals.

• ⚠Orange County TDT: late or non-filed returns incur a penalty of 10% of the tax due or $50, whichever is greater, plus interest at a variable rate updated twice yearly; fraud is treated severely under Florida law (Orange County Comptroller TDT FAQs).
• ⚠Osceola County TDT: the person receiving the rent is personally responsible for remitting the tax — using Airbnb/VRBO does not shift that liability, so unremitted TDT accrues against the host.
• ⚠City of Orlando: operating an unregistered short-term rental, or a whole-home rental in a residential zone, is a zoning/code violation subject to city code enforcement (see Home Sharing Registration program).
• ⚠Statewide: operating a vacation rental without the required DBPR license can trigger enforcement action by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
• ⚠Tax records must be kept at least three years and are subject to audit (per Osceola Tax Collector, citing Florida Statutes ch. 212).

Official sources

1. [1]City of Orlando — Home Sharing Registration
2. [2]Orange County Comptroller — Tourist Development Tax
3. [3]Orange County Comptroller — Tourist Development Tax FAQs
4. [4]Orange County Comptroller — TDT Online Filing Portal
5. [5]Osceola County Tax Collector — Tourist Development Tax
6. [6]Florida DBPR — Hotels and Restaurants (Vacation Rental Licensing)
7. [7]City of Kissimmee — Find Your Property's Zoning Category

Summarized from the official sources above as of 2026-07-02. Informational, not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the jurisdiction before acting.