Key Colony Beach, Florida
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Key Colony Beach, FL
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STR Regulations for Key Colony Beach, Florida
Overview: Are Short-Term Rentals Allowed in Key Colony Beach?
Yes, short-term rentals are explicitly allowed in Key Colony Beach, Florida. The city has established a comprehensive regulatory framework specifically for vacation rentals (short-term rentals) that permits their operation with proper licensing and compliance. Key Colony Beach recognizes vacation rentals as a vital component of their tourism economy and has developed detailed regulations to ensure they operate safely and harmoniously within the community.
What do Airbnb hosts actually earn in Key Colony Beach?
Key Colony Beach hosts earn a median $56,428/year with $342 ADR and 68% occupancy.
Top performers pull in $81,166+ per year.
See the full Key Colony Beach market breakdownHow to Start a Short-Term Rental Business in Key Colony Beach
Starting a short-term rental business in Key Colony Beach requires several critical steps and certifications:
1. Property Manager and Local Contact Requirements
Property Manager: Must complete the City of Key Colony Beach's Property Management Class and obtain a Certificate of Completion. The property owner can serve as the Property Manager if desired.
Local Contact: Must also complete the Property Management Class and be within one hour's drive of Key Colony Beach.
2. Complete Required Training
- Attend the City's Property Management Information Class
- Both Property Manager and Local Contact must be certified
- Sign up for Property Management class at: keycolonybeach.net/sign-up-for-property-manager-class/
3. Online Licensing Process
- Use the CitizenServe platform for licensing (www2.citizenserve.com)
- Complete all required applications and documentation
- Pay applicable fees
4. Essential Considerations
- Minimum Stay Requirement: The city requires a 7-night minimum stay (confirmed by local property management companies)
- Occupancy Limits: Maximum of 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 additional in living room, with an absolute maximum of 10 guests (subject to square footage limitations)
Required Documents, Permits, Licenses, and Guidelines
State-Level Requirements
1. Florida Hotel/Motel License
- Issuing Authority: Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)
- Contact: (850) 487-1395 or [email protected]
- Online: DBPR's website
2. Florida Department of Revenue Sales Tax Registration
- Purpose: Collect and remit sales tax on rental income
- Contact: (305) 470-5001
- Address: Miami Service Center at 8175 NW 12th Street, Suite 119, Miami, FL 33126-1828
- Online: www.MyFlorida.com/dor
County-Level Requirements
3. Monroe County Business Tax Receipt
- Contact: (305) 295-5060 or (305) 289-6034
- Address: 3101 Overseas Highway, Marathon, FL 33050
- Mail: PO Box 1129, Key West, FL 33041-1129
- Online: Monroe County Tax Collector
4. Monroe County Tourist Development Tax
- Requirement: Monthly filing regardless of rental activity
- Contact: (305) 295-5058 or (305) 289-6034
- Online: Tourist Express portal
City-Level Requirements
5. Key Colony Beach Short-Term Rental License
- Process: Through CitizenServe platform
- Requirements:
- Certified Property Manager
- Certified Local Contact
- Annual safety inspection
- Compliance with all city regulations
Required Documents
- Property Management Class Certificate of Completion
- Monroe County Business Tax Receipt
- Proof of insurance
- Floor plan diagram showing exits and fire extinguisher locations
- Safety inspection certification
Specific Regulations for Short-Term Rentals
Safety Requirements
Fire Safety
- Smoke Detectors: Hard-wired with battery backup in each bedroom, outside bedrooms, and sleeping areas
- Fire Extinguishers: Multi-purpose dry chemical (minimum 3-A; 40-B; C rating) on normal path to exit
- Emergency Lighting: Hard-wired battery backup lighting for primary exit during power interruptions
- Floor Diagrams: Posted diagram showing floor plan, exits, and fire extinguisher locations
Electrical Safety
- GFCI Outlets: Required in all wet and potentially wet areas
- Electrical Panels: Must be clearly labeled with 30" x 36" clearance
- Wiring: All wiring must be protected
Pool and Spa Safety
- Fencing: Must comply with current codes
- Alarms: Audible alarms required on exit doors and low windows
- Hot Tubs: Must have locking covers if not fenced
Occupancy and Operational Requirements
Occupancy Limits
- Maximum: Two persons per bedroom plus two additional in living room
- Absolute Maximum: Ten guests total
- Enforcement: Each unit's actual occupancy is listed on the business tax license and may not be exceeded
- Violation Penalty: $250.00 per day
Property Identification
- House Numbers: Must be displayed on refrigerator (minimum 1.5" tall)
- Canal Properties: Numbers visible from canal must be 4" tall x 1.5" wide
Noise Control
- Prohibition: Excessive or disturbing noises at all times (24/7)
- Fireworks: Prohibited (sparklers are acceptable)
- Violation Penalty: $250.00 per violation
- Enforcement: City Code 10-2,3
Waste Management Requirements
Collection Schedule
- Trash: Twice weekly (Tuesdays and Saturdays) - early morning
- Recycling: Weekly on Tuesdays - early morning
- Landscape Debris: Wednesdays only - early morning
Placement Rules
- Timing: Garbage cans and leaf debris may be placed out for collection no earlier than noon the day before collection. Refuse bags not in cans may be placed out for collection no earlier than 4 pm on the day before collection.
- Removal: Garbage cans must be removed from street to proper storage location no later than 24 hours after collection.
- Requirements: Garbage must be in cans with lids or heavy-ply refuse bags securely tied or sealed. Leaf debris may be put into cans (no more than 12 inches higher than the top of the can) or tied in 4-foot bundles.
- Violation Penalty: $50.00 per day (City Code Chapter 7)
Animal Regulations
- Maximum Pets: 2 pets per property
- Leash Requirement: All animals must be leashed at all times
- Violation Penalty: $100.00 per violation (City Code 4-6,10)
- Cleanup Requirement: Animals not permitted to defecate on other than pet owner's property without immediate removal
- Violation Penalty: $50.00 per violation
Parking Regulations
- Trailer Limit: Only one recreational vehicle, boat, utility trailer, personal watercraft trailer, or other trailer per dwelling unit
- Owner Requirement: Trailer owner must be owner/renter of property
- Violation Penalty: $100.00 per day (City Code 5-80/6-59)
- Temporary Boat Trailer Parking: Available off 8th Street for a fee (contact City Hall)
- Vacant Lot Parking: Only vehicles registered to vacant lot owner permitted
- Right-of-Way: No trailers may extend over or be parked on city right-of-way (20 ft from center line)
Waterway Regulations
- Speed Limits: All watercrafts must operate at IDLE SPEED/NO WAKE landward of buoys
- Violation Penalty: $250.00 per violation (City Code 5-1)
- Boat Length: Overall boat length may not exceed waterfront property lines
- Violation Penalty: $200.00 per day (City Code 5-40)
- Living Aboard Vessels: Prohibited even for one night
- Violation Penalty: $250.00 per day (City Code 5-15)
New Code Violations (Specific to STRs)
- Excessive Tenants: Short-term vacation rental with excessive number of tenants - $250.00 per day
- Unacceptable Cleaning: Short-term vacation rental – cleaning not acceptable - $250.00 per day
Documentation Requirements
Guest Information Sheet Must Be Kept On-Premises: The following information must be maintained in the rental unit and available for inspection:
- Rental unit address
- Maximum occupancy
- Dates of rental (From/To)
- All occupants' names
- Vehicle license plate tag number and state
- Guest acknowledgment signature
Inspection and Compliance
Annual Inspections
- Requirement: Mandatory annual safety inspection by Building Department
- Attendance: Property Manager or Local Contact must be present
- Re-inspection Fee: $300 if property fails initial inspection
Compliance Requirements
- All outstanding wastewater bills must be paid
- All Code Violation fines must be settled
- Existing violations must be resolved before license issuance/renewal
Contact Information for Local Authority
Key Colony Beach Building Department and Code Enforcement
- Phone: (305) 289-1212, ext. 2
- Fax: (305) 289-1767
- Address: 600 W. Ocean Drive, P.O. Box 510141, Key Colony Beach, FL 33051-0141
- TTY/TDD: (305) 289-1212
- Website: keycolonybeach.net
Emergency Contacts
- Code Enforcement & Police Department: (305) 289-1212
- Monroe County Emergency Dispatch: 911
- Non-Emergency Dispatch: (305) 289-2351
Online Licensing Platform
- CitizenServe Portal: Online Licensing/Permitting
Source Links
- City of Key Colony Beach Rules & Regulations PDF
- Key Colony Beach Vacation Rentals - Property Managers
- Property Management Class Sign-up
- CitizenServe Licensing Platform
- Monroe County Tax Collector - Business Tax Receipts
- Monroe County Tourist Express Portal
Additional Resources
- Property Management Information Class Packet
- STR Safety Inspection Requirements
- Key Colony Beach Trash Rules for Property Managers
This comprehensive regulatory framework ensures that short-term rentals in Key Colony Beach operate safely, legally, and in harmony with the local community while supporting the area's tourism economy. Investors should note that the city actively enforces these regulations with daily fines for violations, making compliance essential for successful operations.
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Key Colony Beach
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Photos of Key Colony Beach
Overview of Key Colony Beach
Key Colony Beach is a small oceanfront city in Monroe County, Florida, set in the Middle Florida Keys on a compact chain of islands just east of Marathon. With roughly 800 year-round residents, the city has the feel of a quiet tropical residential enclave, known for its calm canal-lined streets, pastel homes, and easy access to both the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. It serves as a relaxed gateway to the Middle Keys and a natural pause between busier Key Largo, about an hour and a half to the northeast, and Key West, roughly 50 miles to the southwest and reached in about an hour and fifteen minutes. Miami is approximately 110 miles northeast, a drive of around two and a half hours over the Overseas Highway.
Just to the west, where Vaca Cut meets open water, the Seven Mile Bridge carries traffic toward the Lower Keys. The modern span parallels the remains of the old Overseas Railroad bridge, portions of which now serve as a pedestrian and cycling path leading to Pigeon Key, a small historic island that once housed Henry Flagler's railroad workers and is now a learning center. The bridge, the causeway, and the small island beneath together form one of the most photographed stretches of the Keys and are a few minutes' drive from Key Colony Beach.
A short drive east in Marathon, on neighboring Grassy Key, the Dolphin Research Center is a marine mammal education facility where visitors can observe Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions in tidal lagoons and take part in guided interaction programs. Also in Marathon, the Turtle Hospital offers behind-the-scenes tours of its rehabilitation work with injured sea turtles, walking guests through recovery tanks, the operating room, and the hospital's long-running conservation efforts. Both venues draw family travelers as well as serious nature enthusiasts exploring the Middle Keys.
Further west along the Overseas Highway, Bahia Honda State Park sits on Bahia Honda Key and is widely regarded as one of the most scenic spots in the Florida Keys. Its shallow turquoise water, white sand, and views of the old Bahia Honda Bridge attract snorkelers, kayakers, and sunbathers year-round, and the park is about a 30-minute drive from Key Colony Beach.
The combination of a small, well-defined residential footprint, a tangle of private canals suited to boating and fishing, and a central position on the Overseas Highway gives Key Colony Beach an enduring appeal for visitors who want a quieter Keys experience without giving up access to the region's signature attractions. Family vacationers, anglers, divers, and seasonal snowbirds all pass through, and the proximity to Marathon, the bridges, and the Lower Keys' natural areas makes the city a particularly flexible base. For owners, that mix of a peaceful setting and a steady flow of travelers heading to well-known landmarks nearby translates into a short-term rental market with broad, year-round appeal.
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