Can You Airbnb Your ADU in Tampa Bay? Short-Term Rental Rules by City

Every ADU pitch  ours included  talks about rental income. But there's a question most homeowners don't ask until after the ADU is built: can you actually rent it out night-by-night on Airbnb, or are you locked into something longer?

The honest answer in Tampa Bay is: it depends entirely on which jurisdiction your parcel sits in, and the rules are more specific  and in some cases stricter  than most rental-income projections assume. Every claim below is sourced directly to the city, county, or state agency that regulates it.

Why cities can still restrict this at all

Florida's short-term rental preemption law, Section 509.032(7), Florida Statutes, stops local governments from passing new ordinances that ban vacation rentals outright or regulate how long or how often a property can be rented  but it grandfathers in any local rule that existed before it took effect. That's exactly why St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa can each still enforce their own long-standing duration rules today, as Tampa's own ADU FAQ confirms: "State law preempts local governments from enacting new ordinances to regulate short-term rentals. Existing regulations on short term rentals are grandfathered in, but they cannot be modified."

Unincorporated Pinellas County short-term rentals allowed, with a Certificate of Use

If your ADU is in unincorporated Pinellas County (not inside St. Petersburg, Clearwater, or Largo city limits), short-term rental is allowed, but per the Pinellas County STR Certificate of Use program, a Certificate of Use is required for any property  including a guest house or garage apartment ADU  rented for less than 30 days more than three times per year. Rent it short-term three times a year or fewer, and you don't need the certificate at all.

Official fees, current as of the county's 2025 ordinance:

• $450 Certificate of Use fee (split into two payments the first year)

• $150 initial inspection fee ($100 for any required re-inspection, done every two years)

• $450 annual renewal fee

The county also caps occupancy at two guests per bedroom plus two in a common area (10 max), requires one off-street parking space per three occupants, and enforces quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. It's actively enforced  a 24/7 STR complaint hotline exists specifically for this.

City of St. Petersburg  3-times-a-year limit for most residential ADUs

This is the one that surprises the most people. Under the City's own Transient Accommodation Uses guidance, residential properties  Old Northeast, Kenwood, Historic Uptown, Crescent Lake, and most other neighborhoods included  can be rented for stays under 30 days only up to three times in any consecutive 365-day period before the use is treated as a "transient accommodation," which requires a hotel/motel zoning classification or an applied Resort Facilities Overlay that most residential ADU lots won't have.

In practice:

• A handful of short stays a year (say, a few weekends) is fine.

• A regular nightly or weekly Airbnb calendar is not, without a transient-use classification.

• Renting for 30-plus days at a time is allowed anywhere in the city with no cap.

If your rental income plan for a St. Petersburg ADU depends on nightly bookings, the zoning code doesn't support that as-of-right. A mid-term rental strategy  30-day-plus stays for traveling nurses, relocations, or seasonal residents  fits the actual rule far better.

City of Clearwater  no rentals under 31 days in residential districts

Clearwater's rule is stricter than most people assume, and it's not 30 days  it's 31. Per the City's own Code Compliance guide (Community Development Code Sections 1-104.B & 3-919): "In residential districts, the city doesn't allow a property owner to lease or rent their property for short-term periods, which is anything less than 31 days or a calendar month." Advertising a residential property for anything shorter than even a single weekend listing  is itself a violation, not just the rental.

Short-term, nightly-style rental is generally only workable in the city's designated tourist and hotel-zoned districts  areas where you generally wouldn't be building a residential backyard ADU in the first place. If your Clearwater ADU sits in a standard residential zone, plan around 31-day-plus rentals or long-term/family use.

City of Tampa  allowed for ADUs, with a 7-day minimum stay

Tampa takes the middle path, and it's confirmed directly in the City's own Accessory Dwelling Unit & Extended Family Residence FAQ, which addresses this exact question: "Can I use an ADU as a short-term rental?" The answer: "The Code establishes a minimum occupancy period for a dwelling to one week, or 7 days. Occupancy periods of less than one week trigger the definition of a lodging unit or hotel, which is not permitted in residential zoning districts in the City."

That still supports a real rental strategy for travelers or business guests booking a week at a time  just not a one- or two-night Airbnb calendar. Confirm your specific ADU zoning overlay (Seminole Heights, East Tampa, Tampa Heights, and the others each carry their own Special Use conditions) before finalizing a rental plan.

The step everyone skips: check your deed and HOA first

None of the above matters if a recorded deed restriction or HOA declaration already prohibits accessory structures or short-term rental use. Florida's preemption statute only limits what cities and counties can do; it does not reach private, recorded restrictions. Homeowners associations can restrict or prohibit short-term rentals through their governing documents under Florida Statute §720.306(1)(h), and a restriction that was already part of the recorded declaration when you took title is generally enforceable regardless of what the city or county allows. Before you build with rental income as part of the plan, pull your deed and, if applicable, your HOA declaration.

Bottom line for Tampa Bay ADU owners

Jurisdiction	Short-term rental allowed?	Minimum/limit
Unincorporated Pinellas County	Yes, with Certificate of Use if rented more than 3x/year under 30 days	$450 initial + $150 inspection + $450/yr renewal
St. Petersburg	Limited to 3 stays/year under 30 days in residential zones; 30+ day rentals unrestricted	3x/year cap
Clearwater	No, in residential zoning; tourist/hotel-zoned districts only	31-day minimum in residential zones
Tampa	Yes, for permitted ADUs	7-day minimum stay

The rental income figures you'll see quoted for Tampa Bay ADUs generally assume you can operate freely  in reality, your jurisdiction determines whether that's a 7-day minimum rental, a handful of short stays a year, or a 30-plus-day lease. Knowing which model your address supports before you finalize your ADU's design  extra parking for turnover guests versus a long-term tenant setup, for example  saves a redesign later.

Built With Love's ADU team checks your parcel's zoning and rental posture as part of the initial site evaluation, so your ADU is designed around a rental strategy that's actually legal on your lot  not just one that sounds good in a listing.

Get a free site evaluation: Contact Tampa Bay ADU | info@BuiltWithLoveFL.com | (727) 270-8404

This article summarizes publicly available city, county, and state regulations as of mid-2026 for general informational purposes. Rules can change; confirm current requirements with the relevant planning or code enforcement office before relying on them for a specific property, and consult an attorney for questions involving your deed or HOA documents.