Glossary
What Is a Short-Term Rental in Miami Beach?
In Miami Beach, a short-term rental is a residential unit rented for a term of less than six months and one day. The city prohibits short-term rentals in all single-family homes citywide, and in many multifamily buildings depending on the zoning district. Only specific districts and properly licensed properties may rent short-term.
The six-months-and-one-day threshold is the definitional line, and it is unusual — most jurisdictions use 30 days. It means a two-month lease in Miami Beach is a short-term rental for regulatory purposes even though it would be an ordinary residential lease almost anywhere else in the country. The rules come from the city's Land Development Regulations and its Resiliency Code, which set out both the definition and the districts where short-term rental is and is not permitted.
The single-family prohibition is citywide under the Resiliency Code. There is no permit, license or registration that makes a single-family home rentable short-term in Miami Beach. Many multifamily buildings in particular zoning districts are likewise prohibited. Where short-term rental is permitted, the property must be properly licensed and registered with the city, and the operator picks up obligations covering occupancy, noise, parking and tax collection.
Verify the specific address before you book or list. The city operates a public 'Practice Safe Renting' portal at apps.miamibeachfl.gov/practicesaferenting where you can check whether a given property is permitted and licensed. A live listing on a booking platform is not evidence of legality — platforms do not adjudicate Miami Beach zoning, and unlawful listings are routinely up. If you are a guest, an enforcement action against your host can end your stay mid-trip with no easy recourse.
Penalties for unlawful short-term rental in Miami Beach are set by city ordinance and are widely described as severe, but the dollar figures circulating online could not be confirmed against a current city page, so treat any amount you see quoted with skepticism. Confirm the applicable definition, permitted districts, licensing requirements and penalties directly with the City of Miami Beach at miamibeachfl.gov, or with a Florida land use attorney, before relying on any summary — including this one.