Dania Beach

Inside the city limits

Some homes inside the Dania Beach city limits carry a Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood mailing address. The mailing address does not decide which rules apply: the city requires a business tax receipt for any business in the city, and its office issues receipts for all businesses conducted within the city.[4, 16] If you are not sure a home is inside the limits, ask Planning and Zoning at (954) 924-6805, extension 3793, before you sign.[2]

Which homes are covered

Chapter 16 applies to vacation rentals of single-family, two-family, three-family and four-family dwellings.[1] It does not apply to vacation rentals in a multi-family building, or group of buildings, with more than four dwelling units.[1] Mobile homes and recreational vehicles can't be used as vacation rentals at all.[1]

What counts as a vacation rental

A home is a vacation rental when it is rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 days or one calendar month, whichever is less, or is advertised or held out to the public as a place regularly rented to guests.[1]

Five-day minimum stay

No one may allow occupancy of all or any part of a dwelling unit as a vacation rental for fewer than five consecutive days.[1] Advertising a stay of less than five consecutive days is treated as a sign of a violation and brings a notice of violation.[1]

The owner's certificate

Any property owner who wants to use a dwelling unit as a vacation rental must first apply for and receive a city vacation rental certificate, and renew it every year.[1] Each unit needs its own certificate.[1] The notarized application must bear the signature of all owners and of all the owners' authorized responsible parties.[2, 3]

If you rent from a landlord

We found no line in Chapter 16 or on the city's application for a tenant to apply in their own name.[1, 3] The owner applies and names a vacation rental agent, who can be the owner or a person 18 or older who lives in the city or is customarily present at a business location in the city.[1] So your landlord has to apply for, sign and renew the certificate.[1]

Fees and dates

A new application costs $1,075: a $200 certificate of use fee plus the $875 vacation rental certificate application fee.[2] A renewal is $875, and a new certificate of use is not required.[2] Certificates run Oct 1 through Sept 30, must be renewed before Oct 1, and the fee is not prorated.[2]

Before you apply

Step 1 on the city's page is a municipal lien search for the property, with a $100 fee, and a state vacation rental license.[2] On the application the owner certifies that there are no pending code violations or unsatisfied liens on the property.[3]

What goes in the package

The package holds the notarized application, a survey, a site plan showing parking spaces, a certificate of use application, a floor plan showing bedrooms and bathrooms, and a vacation rental property management booklet.[2] The code also asks for proof of compliance with Florida Statutes Chapters 212 and 509, the number and location of parking spaces, and whether pets are allowed.[1] The package goes to the Planning and Zoning Division.[2]

City business tax receipt

No one may rent a vacation rental without first getting a city business tax receipt.[1] Before occupancy the applicant files a business tax receipt application for Rental Property Management with the city, and the receipt is renewed every year.[2] The city's schedule lists "Rental property/management" at $236.25 and "Rental unit, per unit" at $31.50; ask the city which lines it bills for your home.[4]

County business tax receipt

Broward County's code says no person may engage in or manage a business without first getting a county business tax receipt.[15] Its rate for the business of renting accommodations is $2.25 a room, with a minimum of $22.50 and a maximum of $150, and that receipt is issued only after a state Division of Hotels and Restaurants license is shown.[15] Businesses not otherwise listed pay $150, so ask the county tax collector which rate applies to one home.[15]

State license

Florida requires each public lodging establishment to get a state license before it starts operating and to renew it every year.[9] State law defines a vacation rental as a condominium or cooperative unit, or a single-family to four-family house or dwelling unit, that is also a transient public lodging establishment.[7] The state's guide lists a $50 application fee, a $10 Hospitality Education Program fee and a $170 full-year license fee for a single rental unit.[10]

Who holds the state license

State law defines the operator of a lodging establishment as the owner, licensee, proprietor, lessee, manager, assistant manager or appointed agent.[8] A license can't be transferred from one place or individual to another.[9] The state's guide says a single license covers units owned and operated by the same person or entity, while group and collective licenses go to a licensed agent, meaning someone the owner has licensed by rental agreement or contract to hold the unit out for rent.[10]

State law on local rules

Florida law says a local law may not prohibit vacation rentals or regulate the duration or frequency of their rental, except for a local law adopted on or before June 1, 2011.[6] Chapter 16 lists Ord. No. 2011-017, dated May 31, 2011, as its first ordinance, with amendments in 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025.[1] We report the five-day minimum as the city code states it.[1]

Zoning

Chapter 16 names home types, not zoning districts, and our search of the city code for "vacation rental" found no list of zones.[1] The certificate of use application in the city's packet says it is reviewed only to decide whether the use is allowed by the zoning district.[3] No one may allow a vacation rental in a dwelling that violates zoning, building, housing, density, life safety or fire codes.[1]

Inspection

The city inspects the unit for zoning, building, housing, density, life safety and fire code compliance before it issues a certificate, and any violation must be fixed and re-inspected first.[1] Units are re-inspected every year.[1] The city's checklist includes a fire extinguisher, smoke and carbon monoxide detection, an evacuation map on the wall of each bedroom, exit alarms on doors and windows that open to a pool, and no open code violations.[3]

The checklist also has the city check the permit history for work done without permits and look for trip hazards, overgrowth, trash and debris.[3]

Occupancy

Occupancy can't exceed two people per bedroom plus two, and total occupancy of one unit can't exceed 10 people or break the city's minimum housing standards between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.[1]

Guest agreement and parking

The code says the written agreement with guests should name everyone staying and list the tag numbers of their vehicles, which can't outnumber the legal parking spaces shown on the certificate.[1] Guests may park only in the spaces drawn on the certificate sketch.[1] Guests should also get a written copy of the chapter and the city's pet, noise and trash rules.[1]

Vacation rental agent

The agent must answer the listed phone 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and be able and willing to come to the unit within three hours of a notice from the city.[1] The agent also receives notices of violation and must monitor the unit at least weekly.[1] Each property has one agent at a time, and the agent first gives the city written certification agreeing to these duties.[1]

Posting

On or within 10 feet of the front door you post the agent's name, address and phone, the maximum occupancy, the maximum number of vehicles with a parking sketch, the trash days, the nearest hospital and police station, and copies of the certificate, the chapter and the guest agreement.[1] The city's inspection looks for the property management booklet, stamped approved by the Zoning Division, in that same spot.[3]

Trash

Trash can't be left outside the unit except after 6 p.m. on the day before pickup, and containers must come off the curb by 6 p.m. on pickup day.[1] Each unit must have the covered containers provided by the city's waste hauler.[1] The inspection checklist has the containers stored behind the front of the house.[3]

Noise

The city's noise rules cover all sound that starts within the city's geographical limits.[5] It is unlawful to cause or permit unreasonably loud sound that can be heard 100 feet from the building, and from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. any sound that can be heard from any property line of the property.[5] The guest agreement should include the guest's acknowledgment of this rule.[1]

Sexual offender checks

At check-in the owner or agent must ask whether any guest is a sexual offender as defined by state law, and notify the Broward Sheriff's Office within 24 hours of being told one is.[1] For a unit within 2,500 feet of a school, day care center, park, playground or other place where children regularly gather, the owner and agent must first get written confirmation from law enforcement that the prospective renter is not a sexual offender.[1] That confirmation must be kept for not less than two years.[1]

Evacuation orders

All guests must leave the vacation rental when a nonresident evacuation order is posted.[1]

State sales tax

Florida levies a 6% tax on the total rent charged for living quarters or sleeping or housekeeping accommodations.[11] A bona fide written agreement for continuous residence for longer than six months is not taxed.[11] The owner, lessor or person receiving the rent remits the tax to the Department of Revenue.[11]

County surtax

Broward County adds a 1% discretionary sales surtax in 2026.[12]

Broward tourist tax

Broward County levies a tourist development tax on rentals for a term of six months or less: a 2% tax plus four additional 1% taxes, which adds up to 6%.[14] The state's rate table also lists 6% for Broward, collected by the county.[13] The local tax is in addition to the 6% state sales tax and any discretionary sales surtax.[13]

Who collects

The county code has the person receiving the rent charge the tourist tax, collect it from the guest at the time of payment and remit it to the county.[14] County returns are due on the 1st day of the month after the filing period and are delinquent if postmarked after the 20th.[14] Sales tax and the surtax on transient rentals are always reported and paid to the Florida Department of Revenue.[13]

The city asks for proof of compliance with Florida Statutes Chapters 212 and 509 with the certificate application.[1] We did not confirm in an official source whether booking platforms collect any of these taxes for hosts in Broward County.

Renting without a certificate

Each day of renting a unit as a vacation rental without a certificate is a separate violation.[1]

Suspension and revocation

A violation of the vacation rental rules, after notice and a hearing, is a basis to suspend or revoke the certificate.[1] So are two or more incidents in a 12-month period of misdemeanor or any felony activity at the property by an owner, tenant or visitor, when a police incident report says the activity disturbed the neighborhood.[1] A suspension can last up to six months, or until conditions are met or violations are cured.[1]

After a revocation, the owner can't reapply for a certificate for any dwelling unit in the city until the cause is resolved, and in no case sooner than six months.[1] If law enforcement finds human trafficking activity that the owner or agent knew or should have known about, the city revokes the certificate immediately.[1] The city manager can also suspend an agent's status for up to three months, or revoke it.[1]

Fines

An owner who keeps renting after a suspension or revocation faces a fine of up to $5,000 a day, per violation, and the fine becomes a lien on the unit or the owner's other property.[1] When an owner is found in violation of a zoning, building, housing, density, life safety or fire code, the order includes an administrative fee for each inspection or re-inspection.[1] The owner or the agent is treated as the violator, and notice served on the agent counts as notice to the owner and the tenant.[1]

Appeals

An owner can appeal a suspension or revocation to the city commission within 30 days of receiving notice by certified mail.[1] The owner must mail notice of the hearing to all property owners within 300 feet of the property.[1]

Sale of the home

When a vacation rental is sold or changes ownership, the new owner must get a city inspection and apply for a new certificate before allowing any vacation rental use.[1]

Business tax and state license penalties

Operating without a city business tax receipt brings a penalty of 25% of the tax due.[4] A county business tax violation can bring a fine of up to $500, up to 60 days in county jail, or both, and each day is a separate offense.[15] Operating a public lodging establishment without a state license is a second degree misdemeanor.[9]

Noise complaints

A code compliance officer or a Broward County Sheriff's deputy decides whether a noise violation has occurred, and the notice of violation warns that fines and liens can follow.[5]