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Saint Johns, FL

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STR Regulations for Saint Johns, Florida

1) Are Short-Term Rentals Allowed in Saint Johns County and St. Augustine, FL? (Overview)

Short-term rentals are allowed in Saint Johns County, Florida, under a formal, countywide ordinance that requires registration, annual renewal, and compliance with life-safety, occupancy, parking, solid waste, noise, and posting rules. The ordinance explicitly covers unincorporated areas east of the Intracoastal Waterway and sets specific thresholds and operational standards. Cities within the county, including the City of St. Augustine, maintain their own frameworks that may add zoning-related minimum stay rules and city-specific registration procedures. In short: yes, STRs are permitted in Saint Johns County; compliance hinges on registering with the County (and any applicable city), meeting state licensing/tax requirements, and observing local standards. Investors should verify their parcel’s jurisdiction (county vs. city) and the applicable zoning constraints before acquisition or conversion.

References:

What do Airbnb hosts actually earn in Saint Johns?

Saint Johns hosts earn a median $28,416/year with $145 ADR and 67% occupancy.

Top performers pull in $37,689+ per year.

See the full Saint Johns market breakdown

2) How to Start a Short-Term Rental Business in This Market

Starting an STR in Saint Johns County requires sequencing local, county, and state steps. Investors should treat it as a multi-step compliance process rather than a single permit. The high-level path is:

  1. Confirm jurisdiction and zoning; determine if the property is in unincorporated Saint Johns County (east of the Intracoastal Waterway) or within the City of St. Augustine (or another municipality), which changes zoning-based minimum stays and registration workflows.

  2. Acquire and prepare the unit(s) to meet life-safety and occupancy posting requirements; this includes signage, fire extinguishers, evacuation routes, and capacity calculations.

  3. Obtain County STR registration for each unit or portion thereof used as an STR, and renew annually. City operators must also obtain City registration and inspection, aligned with zoning-based minimum stay rules.

  4. Secure state-level business authorizations: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Vacation Rental Dwelling license as a Transient Public Lodging Establishment; Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) Sales and Use Tax registration; and Saint Johns County Business Tax Receipt (local business tax certificate).

  5. Set up tax compliance: register, collect, and remit Florida state sales and use tax on lodging, and Saint Johns County Tourist Development Tax (TDT) from guests; observe whether a third-party platform (Airbnb/Vrbo) remits state taxes on your behalf and ensure county TDTs are handled properly.

  6. Implement operations to meet County standards: enforce maximum occupancy and parking caps, manage solid waste schedules and container counts, adhere to noise regulations, and ensure hurricane evacuations as required.

References:

3) Required Documents, Permits, Licenses, and Operational Guidelines

County requirements (Saint Johns County):

  • Completed County STR registration application for each unit or portion thereof used as a short-term rental.
  • Sample rental/lease agreement that must include:
    • Maximum occupancy;
    • Maximum number of vehicles allowed;
    • Name and 24-hour contact information for the owner, property manager, and a secondary contact;
    • Acknowledgement by the tenant/lessee/guest of the County’s right to reasonably inspect and the obligation to comply with Saint Johns County Noise Ordinance.
  • Local Business Tax Receipt (Saint Johns County Tax Collector).
  • Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) license as a Transient Public Lodging Establishment (Vacation Rental Dwelling).
  • Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) Certificate of Sales and Use Tax registration; if using a third-party platform (Airbnb/Vrbo), a statement confirming the platform’s collection/remittance of state taxes, recognizing that county TDT is not automatically collected/remitted by the platform and must be handled by the host.
  • Required registration fee and executed affidavit (included in application package).
  • Annual renewal every 12 months.

Operational posting requirements (within the unit):

  • On a single page posted on the back of or next to the main entrance door:
    • Short-term rental owner/property manager phone number;
    • Maximum occupancy;
    • Maximum number of vehicles;
    • Evacuation route map location;
    • Nearest hospital location;
    • Marine turtles regulatory policies (reference to County code section).
  • Life-safety equipment: Portable multi-purpose fire extinguisher on each floor/level, installed in an open common area or enclosed space with appropriate markings.
  • Noise: Compliance with County Ordinance 2015-19.
  • Evacuation: Immediate evacuation upon posting of a hurricane warning.
  • Parking: Minimum off-street parking of one space per three transient occupants; total vehicles (including boats, RVs, trailers) cannot exceed total off-street parking; only occupant vehicles may park overnight; no boats/RVs/trailers may be parked on the street or in the front yard; all vehicles must park only on designated spaces on the property.
  • Solid waste: Covered trash containers, minimum one container per four transient occupants; posted pick-up schedule; place containers curbside no earlier than sunset the day before and remove no later than sunrise the day after.
  • Occupancy: Two transient occupants per sleeping room or common area, with a maximum of 10 (excluding children 12 and under), with a vesting schedule for existing rentals.

City of St. Augustine (separate, additional requirements):

  • Zoning-based minimum stay rules:
    • RS-1 and RS-2 zoning: minimum one-week rentals with approved registration; nightly rentals not allowed.
    • HP-1 zoning: minimum one-month rentals with approved registration.
    • All other zoning districts: nightly rentals permitted with approved registration.
  • Tiered registration fee schedule (Resolution 2025-41):
    • Studio: $303.03 (studio/efficiency limited to 2 occupants);
    • One Bedroom: $382.33;
    • Two Bedrooms: $461.63;
    • Three Bedrooms: $540.93;
    • Four Bedrooms: $620.23;
    • Five or more Bedrooms: $699.53.
    • Late renewal fee: $100; re-inspection fee: $50.
  • Life-safety inspection and compliance before registration approval.
  • Compliance with City noise regulations and posting requirements.
  • Report violations via hotline or online portal.

References:

4) Specific Regulations for Short-Term Rentals (County, City, and State)

County-level regulations (Saint Johns County Short-Term Vacation Rental Ordinance 2021-23):

  • Applicability and boundaries: All STRs located in unincorporated Saint Johns County east of the Intracoastal Waterway must comply, with specific exemptions (listed below).
  • Exemptions:
    • Unincorporated areas west of the Intracoastal Waterway;
    • Single-family dwellings occupied full-time by the owner as an on-premises permanent resident and continuously declared as homestead by the Property Appraiser;
    • Two-family dwellings under common ownership where one unit is occupied full-time by the owner as an on-premises permanent resident and continues to be declared as homestead;
    • Multi-family dwellings governed by or subject to a property owners association, condominium owners association, or homeowners association, or with on-site property management.
  • Occupancy limits: Maximum of 10 transient occupants, excluding children 12 and under; a vesting schedule applies to existing rentals.
  • Parking: Minimum off-street parking of one space per three transient occupants; vehicles, boats, RVs, and trailers limited to the total off-street parking count; no overnight street or front yard parking for boats/RVs/trailers.
  • Solid waste: Minimum one covered trash container per four transient occupants; posted pick-up schedules; set-out and retrieval timing rules around sunset/sunrise.
  • Life safety and postings: Portable multi-purpose fire extinguisher per floor; required signage at the main entrance door (occupancy, vehicle limits, evacuation map, nearest hospital, marine turtle policies).
  • Noise and hurricanes: Compliance with County Noise Ordinance; immediate evacuation upon hurricane warning posting.
  • Registration and renewal: Annual registration per unit or portion thereof; complete application, supporting documents, and fees; renewals required every 12 months.

City of St. Augustine regulations:

  • Zoning-based minimum stays:
    • RS-1 & RS-2: weekly minimum rental period only; nightly rentals prohibited;
    • HP-1: monthly minimum rental period;
    • All other zoning districts: nightly rentals allowed.
  • Registration fees: Tiered base plus per-bedroom fee; late renewal and re-inspection fees apply.
  • Life-safety inspection: Required before registration approval.
  • Complaint enforcement: 24/7 hotline and online complaint portal; email contact; noise regulations apply.

State-level context (Florida):

  • Local governments may regulate STRs to mitigate negative effects but cannot ban short-term rentals or regulate the length of stays or frequency; this framework allows Saint Johns County and the City of St. Augustine to impose registration, life-safety, parking, noise, and solid waste requirements.
  • STR hosts must obtain DBPR licensing as a Transient Public lodging establishment (Vacation Rental Dwelling) and register for Florida Sales and Use Tax with DOR.
  • Platform-based remittance: Third-party platforms (Airbnb/Vrbo) may automatically collect and remit Florida state lodging taxes; county-level TDTs are not necessarily collected by platforms, and hosts are responsible for registering, collecting, and remitting Saint Johns County TDTs.

References:

5) Contact Information for Local Authorities and Programs

Saint Johns County Code Enforcement (Short-Term Vacation Rentals)

  • Phone: (904) 209-0734
  • Fax: (904) 209-0600
  • Email: codenf@sjcfl.us (general Code Enforcement); shorttermrentals@sjcfl.us (STR-specific contact per brochure)
  • Address: 4040 Lewis Speedway, Saint Augustine, FL 32084

City of St. Augustine (Short-Term Rentals)

  • 24/7 Complaints Hotline: (904) 569-7077
  • Submit an Online Complaint: HostCompliance portal (see City site; link provided below)
  • Email: shorttermrentals@citystaug.com
  • STR Phone: (904) 201-8839
  • Address: 75 King Street, St. Augustine, FL 32084

Saint Johns County Tax Collector

  • Phone: see website for local office numbers
  • Website: sjctax.us/ (Business Tax Receipts; Tourist Development Tax)

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)

  • Licensing resources: Vacation Rental Dwelling information and application portal (Transient Public Lodging Establishment)

Florida Department of Revenue (DOR)

  • Sales and Use Tax: Registration and filing information (lodging taxes)

References:

6) Links to Source Pages

County short-term vacation rental information and registration portal:

County ordinance documents:

City of St. Augustine short-term rentals:

State licensing and tax:

News and market context:

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Saint Johns

Market Saturation Score

036912
Moderate Saturation
7/ 12
months with declining YoY revenue
5–7 declining months: moderate saturation risk - market may be nearing capacity.
View Full Saint Johns Market Analysis

Photos of Saint Johns

Overview of Saint Johns

Saint Johns sits in northeastern Florida within St. Johns County, a fast-growing jurisdiction that hugs the Atlantic coast just south of the Jacksonville metro area. The county's population has climbed past 300,000 in recent years, and the area carries a distinctly suburban-coastal character: master-planned neighborhoods, top-rated public schools, and a steady parade of new retail and dining developments. Residents and visitors alike tend to think of the region as a gateway to the country's oldest European-founded city, St. Augustine, while remaining within an easy commute of Jacksonville's urban core roughly 30 to 40 miles to the north. The area's appeal lies in this blend of historic charm, beach access, and proximity to a major Southern city, all wrapped in a lush, subtropical setting defined by the slow-moving St. Johns River and miles of Atlantic shoreline.

Just to the east of Saint Johns lies St. Augustine, the nation's oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement. About a 20- to 30-minute drive from most points in the county, the historic downtown is a dense concentration of Spanish colonial architecture, cobblestone lanes, the Flagler College campus, and a vibrant restaurant scene. Visitors can tour the imposing Castillo de San Marcos, a late-17th-century coquina fortress guarding Matanzas Bay, or simply stroll along St. George Street for shopping and people-watching.

A short drive south of St. Augustine brings visitors to Fort Matanzas National Monument, a smaller but well-preserved Spanish watchtower situated on a barrier island. A free ferry carries guests across the inlet to explore the structure and its surrounding salt marsh, making it a popular half-day excursion for travelers based in the Saint Johns area. The monument offers a quieter, more reflective counterpoint to the busier historic sites farther north.

For those drawn to the outdoors, Anastasia State Park stretches across more than 1,600 acres of salt marsh, tidal creeks, and Atlantic beachfront just a few miles south of the historic district. It is a favorite for kayaking, paddleboarding, birdwatching, and camping under live oaks draped in Spanish moss. The park's wide, uncrowded beach is often cited as one of the more relaxed stretches of sand in northeast Florida.

The Saint Johns area makes a compelling base for short-term rentals because it threads together several distinct Florida experiences within a small radius. Guests can spend mornings on Atlantic beaches, afternoons wandering Spanish colonial streets, and evenings back in a quiet suburban neighborhood, all while remaining within a short drive of Jacksonville's airport, sports venues, and cultural institutions. That combination of accessibility, variety, and year-round mild weather continues to draw a steady stream of family vacationers, history enthusiasts, and snowbirds to the region.

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