Vacation rentals in Jacksonville and the Beaches

Jacksonville covers more ground than any other city in the continental United States, and its rental market is several markets in one: the Beaches, the historic neighborhoods of Riverside, Avondale and San Marco, and suburbs stretching toward Mandarin and the St. Johns County line. Demand is diverse: Jaguars games, The Players Championship at nearby Ponte Vedra Beach, Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport, patients and families at Mayo Clinic, and corporate travel. Summer is the beach peak, but the business base keeps the rest of the year active.

The consolidated city

Jacksonville and Duval County form one consolidated government. In 2026 the city did not operate a dedicated short-term rental permit, although a special City Council committee has examined zoning, registration, tax collection and enforcement for vacation rentals, and its work is worth following. Florida's s. 509.032(7) limits what any future ordinance could do: no ban and no cap on how often or how long you rent, though registration and safety rules would remain possible.

The Beaches are different

• Jacksonville Beach requires a short-term vacation rental certificate for each property, issued after a Fire Marshal inspection and a file that includes a parking survey, a sample lease and proof of state and county registrations. Certificates are renewed each year by October 1.
• Atlantic Beach prohibits residential rentals shorter than 90 days under a 2006 ordinance.
• Neptune Beach prohibits rentals shorter than 28 days.

These two older bans stay enforceable because they predate the June 1, 2011 cutoff written into the state statute.

The tax point everyone misses

Duval County's Tax Collector states plainly that there is no agreement between the county and any online rental platform to receive the convention and tourist development tax on hosts' behalf. You collect and file it yourself every month, even in months without bookings, alongside state sales tax. A DBPR vacation rental license applies to homes and condos rented more than three times a year for stays under 30 days.

Our advice

Choose the neighborhood by guest type: beach houses for summer leisure, in Jacksonville Beach with a certificate; riverside homes for medical and business stays; furnished mid-term rentals near the hospitals and bases. We study every request and tell you honestly whether and how we can help.