Bulletin - Largo, FL News Today
Owners of the city's estimated 600 to 800 vacation rentals must register, pass code and fire inspections and renew every year with sign-ups opening in November ahead of a January 1, 2027 launch
Largo Adopts Annual Short-Term Rental Registration With $600 Fee and Required Inspections
Owners of the city's estimated 600 to 800 vacation rentals must register, pass code and fire inspections and renew every year with sign-ups opening in November ahead of a January 1, 2027 launch
Photo by Worm Funeral on Unsplash
Watch here: https://www.wtsp.com/
Largo city commissioners on October 6 unanimously adopted an ordinance requiring annual registration and life safety inspections for every short-term vacation rental along with a companion measure setting a $600 registration fee and a $600 annual renewal fee.
The city estimates 600 to 800 vacation rentals operate within its limits and registration will roll out in November ahead of the program’s full launch on January 1, 2027.
How Registration Works
Ordinance 2026-33 amends Section 15.18 of the city’s development code which covers units rented more than three times a calendar year for stays under 30 days or advertised as regularly rented to guests.
Owners must apply for each unit with a copy of their state vacation rental license, an attestation that required tourist development tax is being collected and remitted, contact details for a designated responsible party, the unit’s maximum occupancy and bedroom count, and a parking plan.
Once the application and fees are in, the city schedules inspections by Community Standards and the Fire Department, and the certificate it issues is valid for one year. Renewal applications are due at least 60 days before expiration and because certificates do not transfer with a sale, a new owner must reapply within 30 days.
Official City of Largo Ordinance No. 2026-33 detailing amendments to short-term rental regulations including registration, occupancy limits, parking requirements, and enforcement standards. | Source: https://largo.civicweb.net/
Guest Rules and Advertising
The existing operating standards remain including one guest per 150 square feet of conditioned living space, one off-street parking space per three guests with street parking excluded, and a responsible party who can reach the property within two hours.
Each unit must now post noise limits for guests, set at 72 decibels during the day and 55 decibels from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the nearest property line in residential zones with lower limits in multifamily buildings. Any advertisement promoting a rental in violation of the code now counts as direct evidence of a violation.
Penalties and State Limits
Failing to register, renew on time or pay fees is a violation handled through the city’s code enforcement process and Ordinance 2026-35 adds a $250 administrative fee for any case adjudicated by the Code Enforcement Board or a special magistrate.
Official City of Largo Ordinance No. 2026-35 outlining updated short-term rental regulations including annual registration, inspections, fees, and enforcement requirements. | Source: https://largo.civicweb.net/
Commissioners also approved a chronic nuisance ordinance covering all properties. Florida law bars cities from banning vacation rentals or limiting how often or how long they are rented unless the rule predates June 1, 2011, and city staff also cited Senate Bill 180, a 2025 hurricane recovery law that blocks land development rules more restrictive than current code.
⦾ Status: Ordinances 2026-33 and 2026-35 adopted October 6, 2026 (unanimous), effective upon adoption
⦾ Program start: Registration opens November 2026 (exact date not announced); full launch January 1, 2027
⦾ Registration required: Yes, one certificate per unit, valid one year
⦾ Fee: $600 initial registration; $600 annual renewal
⦾ Renewal deadline: Application due at least 60 days before expiration
⦾ Sale or transfer: Certificate does not transfer; new owner must apply within 30 days
⦾ Inspections: Community Standards and Fire Department life safety inspections at registration and each renewal
⦾ Occupancy cap: One guest per 150 gross square feet of permitted, conditioned living space
⦾ Parking: One off-street space per three guests; street parking does not count
⦾ Responsible party: Reachable 24/7 and on site within two hours if needed
⦾ Night cap: None (barred by state law)
⦾ Penalty for non-compliance: Code enforcement penalties under the city’s fee schedule, plus a $250 administrative fee for adjudicated cases
⦾ Platform responsibility: None, though non-compliant listings count as evidence of a violation
Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TfGYfNBjgk
In case you missed it:
Jas Albatana
Carla Almendral
Carla Almendral
Social Listening 🎧: Podcast
Policy talk doesn’t just happen in the news cycle—it can also live in long-form audio. Strisker’s Podcast Signal turns hours of episodes into actionable insight, indexing transcripts so you can surface key mentions of STRs, data centers, ordinances, and local decision-makers in seconds.
Stay Updated with Strisker!
Strisker offers tools and features to keep you updated with the Short Term Rental movement (and now Data Centers!) movement across the world.
👍 We’d love your feedback!
We're always looking for ways to improve Bulletins.
Was this one useful to you? Are there other topics you'd like to see get covered?
✉️ Just reply directly to this email. We read and respond to every message!
— Will McClure 🙋
P.S. Know someone else who should be reading this Bulletin? Feel free to forward this along. We want to make sure operators and stakeholders are aware of regulatory changes in their area.