Orlando Short Term Rental Zones
The majority of clients looking to buy a vacation home or rental property in the Disney area of Orlando will hear the term Orlando Short Term Rental zones (STR) prior to buying a property.
Short term rentals are defined as being permitted to be rented for periods of 6 months or less. Anything over a 6 month and 1 day period is classed as a Long Term Rental (LTR).
Most homes in Florida are zoned as residential or (R-1). This means that the home is for residential purposes and ‘subject to’ the community association agreements. It could also be rented out for Long Term Rental (LTR). Some ‘Deed restricted’ communities may not agree owners to rent out their property even for Long Term Rental.
Disney Orlando Short Term Rental Zones
What we consider to be the Disney, Orlando area actually consists of 4 different counties. Lake, Polk, Osceola and Orange counties. The first three are short term rental friendly whilst Orange County mostly consists of residential and commercial zones.
The County may permit short term rentals, but the community will also have to agree. Only with this agreement will it be a short term rental community. This is typically stipulated by the developer of the community at the time of construction.
Having purchased your short term rental property within a short term rental zone, you will need to obtain a business license and a tourism tax license. You can purchase these from the county in which your property is located. These licenses are required by law in order to short term rent your property. Not having a license can subject the owner to ‘DAILY’ fines for non-compliance.
These licenses permit you to operate your vacation home as a small hotel. The licenses are inexpensive to purchase. They are only issued to owners of vacation homes that are legally permitted to offer short term rentals. These must be within compliant short term rental communities.
Where are these STR located?
In general, anywhere south and west of Disney are Orlando Short Term Rental Zones. There are a number of exceptions. Some communities in this region are NOT Short Term Rental and you may discover Short Term Rental communities outside of this general area.
Map of Disney Short Term Rental Zones
Locally known as the Golden Triangle
The majority of Short Term Rental Communities are within the Golden Triangle. This triangle is marked on the map. There are however exceptions outside of this area.
There are also communities within the Golden Triangle which are not zoned for STR’s so you need to be careful. The best way to be sure is to speak to an expert.
Why should I buy a vacation home in an STR area?
The foremost reason for buying a vacation home in Orlando is because you want to frequently visit the Orlando. Only by purchasing a property in a short term rental zone, are you allowed to rent the vacation home out. The rental income can provide you with a cash flow which can cover or go towards the cost of ownership and expenses.
Pro-active owners of short term rental vacation homes will market their property in their home country or state. This will assist in generating bookings. Prospective owners of short term rental properties should view the purchase and short term rental of the property as a subsidized purchase. Over time your rental income should break even on your costs and even generate an income if you follow our advice.
Ensure that the property you are buying is in one of the Orlando short term rental zones.
We have been assisting buyers from all over the world to purchase and invest in Disney area homes. ALL of the homes we will show you will be in communities which allow short term rentals. Buy Orlando Properties works with all of the top builders in the Disney, Orlando area. With over 37 years experience behind us, we feel extremely confident that we can help you to find your perfect vacation home near Disney.
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