Santa Rosa County (unincorporated) • Near Navarre Beach
Navarre, FL Short‑Term Rental Rules (Airbnb & VRBO)
Navarre is an unincorporated community in Santa Rosa County on Florida’s Emerald Coast. That usually means STR compliance is driven by Santa Rosa County + Florida state requirements (DBPR licensing and state/county lodging taxes), plus any HOA/condo restrictions tied to the specific property.
Short-Term Rental Rules in Navarre, Florida
Use this rules summary as a quick checklist before you buy, list, or self‑manage:
Rules summary
- Are short-term rentals allowed?
- Short‑term rentals are generally allowed for most Navarre addresses in unincorporated Santa Rosa County, but you still need to verify zoning/deed restrictions and any HOA/condo rules for the property.
- Where is it regulated?
- Primarily Santa Rosa County (unincorporated areas) plus Florida DBPR (vacation rental licensing where applicable) and the Florida Department of Revenue (state tax rules).
- Registration or license
- No stand‑alone county STR permit was published for unincorporated Navarre. Most operators still need to confirm whether a Florida DBPR vacation rental license applies, register for the county Tourist Development Tax (TDT), and obtain any required business tax receipt(s).
- Local taxes
- Florida sales tax 6% + Santa Rosa County discretionary surtax 0.5% (total 6.5%), plus Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Tax (TDT) 5% on rentals of 6 months or less. Total commonly modeled lodging tax: 11.5% (before platform fees).
- Fees
- Local STR permit fee: $0 (no dedicated county STR permit was published for unincorporated Navarre). DBPR licensing fees and any local business tax receipt fees can still apply—confirm before operating.
- Occupancy and parking
- No single countywide occupancy cap is summarized for Navarre in our sources. Expect standard life‑safety limits and complaint‑driven enforcement (noise/parking/trash). HOA/condo limits can be lower than county/state expectations.
- Minimum stay
- No countywide minimum stay rule is highlighted for Navarre; minimum stays are most often set by HOA/condo rules or host policy. Verify at the address level.
- Enforcement and penalties
- Late tax filing can trigger penalties/interest, and operating without a required DBPR license or violating nuisance/parking rules can lead to enforcement. Most issues are complaint‑driven—local response + clear guest rules matter.
What to do next
- Confirm your exact jurisdiction (Navarre vs Navarre Beach vs another municipality) using the parcel record/GIS and your address geocode.
- Review HOA/condo governing documents for minimum stay rules, rental caps, guest limits, and fines.
- Determine whether you need a Florida DBPR vacation rental license and obtain it before operating (if applicable).
- Register for and set up filing for Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Tax (TDT) and Florida sales tax, and confirm what your platform remits.
- Create a compliance playbook (parking map, quiet hours, trash instructions, and a 24/7 local contact) to prevent complaint-driven issues.
FAQ
Is Navarre an incorporated city with its own STR permit?
Navarre is generally treated as an unincorporated Santa Rosa County community (not a city). STR requirements are usually county + state (DBPR licensing/taxes), plus HOA/condo rules for the property.
Do I need a Florida DBPR vacation rental license to run an Airbnb here?
Many whole-home/condo short-term rentals in Florida fall under DBPR’s vacation rental licensing rules. Confirm your property type and operating model using DBPR guidance before you list.
What’s the total lodging tax rate I should model for Navarre?
A common baseline is Florida sales tax (6%) + Santa Rosa County surtax (0.5%) + Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Tax (5%), for a combined 11.5% on stays of 6 months or less. Verify any updates and whether your platform remits each component.
Do Airbnb or VRBO collect the Santa Rosa County TDT for me?
Platform tax collection varies by platform, listing type, and agreements. Always confirm which taxes are being collected/remitted on your behalf and what you still must file directly with the county clerk.
Can an HOA or condo association stop STRs even if the county allows them?
Yes. Private HOA/condo governing documents can prohibit or restrict STRs even if county/state rules allow them. Get the docs in writing before you buy.
How is Navarre different from Navarre Beach for STR compliance?
Both are in Santa Rosa County, but your exact jurisdiction (and any special district/HOA rules) matters. Use the page that matches your property’s geocoded location and verify at the parcel level.
Official sources
- Santa Rosa County – Tourist Development Tax (5% bed tax overview)
- Santa Rosa County Clerk – Tourist Development Tax (filing system + registration info)
- Santa Rosa County Clerk – Tourist Development Tax Registration (PDF)
- Florida DOR – Local Option Transient Rental Tax Rates (DR‑15TDT) (Santa Rosa County rate)
- Florida DOR – Discretionary Sales Surtax Rates (DR‑15DSS) / rate table
- Florida DBPR – Guide to Vacation Rentals & Timeshare Projects (Hotels & Restaurants)
- Florida DBPR – Vacation Rental Database (license lookup)
Last verified: 2025-12-21. Rules and fees can change. Confirm directly with the relevant authority and any HOA or condo association.
Navarre STR Market Context
Navarre is an unincorporated Santa Rosa County community along US‑98 between Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, with guest demand anchored by Navarre Beach and the Emerald Coast’s family‑friendly beach travel. Because Navarre isn’t an incorporated city with its own STR ordinance, compliance is typically a mix of Florida state requirements (DBPR licensing when your property type requires it, plus state tax rules) and Santa Rosa County tax registration, with HOA/condo rules often being the strictest layer.
Underwriting usually comes down to (1) address‑level eligibility (zoning, deed restrictions, association docs), (2) operating smoothly in a quiet residential area (parking, trash timing, noise response), and (3) coastal operating costs—especially insurance and maintenance for properties closer to the water. If you’re buying for beach proximity, model how distance to public beach access and parking affects occupancy and ADR outside peak summer weeks. Also sanity‑check your comps: mainland homes can perform very differently than island condos depending on walkability, beach access points, and seasonal traffic over the causeway.
What makes this market different
- Treat jurisdiction as step #1: many properties geocode as Navarre, Navarre Beach, or another nearby area—rules and workflows can differ.
- Model the full tax stack (commonly ~11.5% guest-facing lodging taxes) and confirm what your platform remits vs what you must file directly.
- HOA/condo documents are the most common deal‑killer—get them before closing and look for minimum stays, rental caps, and fine schedules.
- Operational friction tends to be parking, noise, and trash timing. A local 24/7 contact and tight house rules reduce complaint risk.
- Navarre demand is highly seasonal and beach-driven; underwrite conservatively outside peak summer and holiday weeks.
Investor tip: treat compliance as a first-pass filter. Verify property-specific rules before finalizing purchase assumptions.
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