Florida Airbnb Management Company Directory

Florida is a popular location for investing in short-term rentals due to its diverse range of attractions, including beaches, resorts, cultural and art scene, and wineries, as well as its year-round demand from tourists due to the mild climate. This guide lists every Airbnb property management company in Florida by city.

Top Florida Airbnb Management Companies

The best Airbnb management companies in Florida include:

1. Awning: Best Overall Florida Airbnb Manager
2. RedAwning: Best Half-Service Airbnb Management Solution
3. Avantstay: Best Luxury Short-term Rental Management Company
4. Master Vacation Homes: Best for Large Rental Properties
5. RealJoy Vacations: Best for Local Experiences
6. Panhandle Getaways: Best Small-Scale Local Airbnb Manager
7. RedAwning: Best for Half-Service Airbnb Management

Top Florida Airbnb Management Companies by City

Here you can select any city in Florida and get a complete list of Airbnb management companies that operate in the city, the average review score of the properties they manage and the total number of listings the vacation rental manager oversees.

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How We Researched the Top Florida Airbnb Management Companies

The criteria we used to select and rank the top Airbnb management companies in Florida include:

• Services: We looked at whether a company is a half-service or full-service provider and whether it covers all expected services within each category.
• Pricing: We considered whether an Airbnb property manager has a clear pricing structure covering all services. We also looked at what additional fees hosts will need to pay.
• Value for money: We evaluated whether the provided services and the expected fee offer the best value for money in Florida.
• Business model: We investigated whether a company uses the latest real estate technology while retaining human touch, which is crucial in property management.
• Reviews: We took into consideration whether companies have a strong online presence and whether reviews are positive or negative.
• Number of listings in Florida: We searched for the Airbnb management companies with the most active listings in the Florida market.

To maximize your vacation rental investments in Florida, connect with an Awning property manager now.

How to Choose a Florida Airbnb Management Company

Choosing the best Airbnb management company is as important as buying a high-potential property for the success of your rental business. This is crucial in a market like Florida where many cities impose strict short-term rental regulations and restrictions.

When making this decision, focus on the same criteria that we used in our ranking of the top Florida Airbnb management companies:

• Services: Do you want to be involved in the management of your property (half-service is better) or do you aim for completely passive income (full-service is a must)? What services do you expect the Airbnb manager to provide and what would you like to do yourself? Is your property furnished and ready to welcome guests or do you need help with this?
• Pricing: How much are you willing to pay for a fully passive investment experience or some extra help in managing your vacation rental?
• Value for money: Compare the list of services provided by a few different property management companies and the fees they charge including the monthly fee and additional charges.
• Business model: Would you rather work with a nationwide or local property manager? Do you expect national accountability or local, personal touch? Does the company seem honest and transparent?
• Reviews: Check out online reviews by both property owners and guests. If possible, talk to a few local investors working with each property manager you consider.
• Number of listings in Florida: Go for a company that has an established presence in the Florida market but is not overloaded/understaffed. You want to hire an experienced professional with enough local capacity.

When interviewing a few top choices for a Florida short-term rental property management company, ask the following questions:

• Are you a local property manager or a nationwide company?
• For how many years have you been managing short-term rentals?
• How many properties do you manage at the moment?
• How big is your local team?
• Do you have an in-house local management team or do you work with vendors?
• By how much are you able to increase revenue in the local market?
• Do you help get properties ready? Do you help with interior design, furnishing, short-term rental licenses and permits, and taxes?
• Do you collect money from guests and remit to owners or do booking fees go to the property owner directly?
• Do you provide cleaning, laundry, and restocking?
• Do you conduct property inspections and maintenance work?
• Do you manage swimming pools and hot tubs?
• What is your Airbnb property management fee? What does this cover? Are there any additional fees and costs? Is there an onboarding and/or early-termination fee?
• Can I review a copy of the property management agreement?
• How can I cancel your services?
• Do I get to keep my property reviews if I opt out?

Knowing the answers to these questions is key for selecting the best Airbnb property management company in Florida for your specific needs.

How Airbnb Management Works

There are two broad types of Airbnb property management companies: full-service and half-service.

Full-service property managers are those that take care of all the aspects of owning and running a short-term rental business. They help:

• Get properties ready (interior design, furnishing, linen, insurance, getting licenses and permits, and setting up transient occupancy taxes)
• Create, optimize, distribute, and market listings
• Manage all day-to-day tasks (cleaning, restocking, and laundry)
• Take care of guests (communication, check-ins and check-outs, and support)
• Manage finances (adjust daily rates, optimize occupancy, boost revenue, report finances, and collect and remit taxes)
• Take care of properties (inspections, maintenance, and repairs)

The best full-service Airbnb management companies help investors achieve passive income while boosting performance.

Half-service Airbnb property managers usually focus on listings, marketing, revenue management, guest communication and support, and taxes. Some of them offer to connect property owners with vetted local vendors for the services they do not cover.

Vacation rental property management companies can be national (covering most US markets) or local (focusing on a specific city). Both come with their own advantages and disadvantages.

Property management fees range widely in the US market: between 10% and 50% of revenue, with 20-25% of revenue being the average for full-service providers. Some companies charge different rates for different markets and different property types. Property managers frequently charge extra for services outside the core package, like interior design, furnishing, insurance, linen, etc.

The top vacation rental management companies have flexible terms and do not require long-term commitment on behalf of property owners. However, some expect quarterly or annual commitments.

Some Airbnb property managers focus on specific property types, like luxury rentals, group travel rentals, apartments, etc., while others work with most residential properties. Different companies have different eligibility requirements; for example, half-service property managers work with furnished short term rentals, while some full-service companies prefer to be directly involved in design and furnishing.

One thing property owners should keep in mind is that most Airbnb management companies list rentals under their brand name, so hosts lose the reviews and rankings once they leave. A noticeable exception is Awning, which allows properties to keep reviews.

How to Start an Airbnb in Florida

In order to start an Airbnb business in Florida, investors need to:

1. Choose the best Florida investment property location (where Airbnb is legal, and ROI is high)
2. Find a high-potential property (Awning can help)
3. Make sure the zoning district allows short term rentals
4. Hire an agent to help them purchase the property
5. Renovate the property (if needed)
6. Furnish the rental (Awning can help)
7. Select a business structure
8. File tax and employer identification documents
9. Apply for a vacation rental condo or dwelling license from the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR)
10. Get local short-term rental licenses and permits by city (most Florida cities require local licenses or permits)
11. Decide if you want to hire an Airbnb management company (Awning can help with all the steps) or manage your property on your own
12. List your property and start renting out
13. Provide ongoing services to guests and property maintenance and upkeep

Whether you decide to manage your Florida vacation rental on your own or to hire a property manager will determine if you get to enjoy passive rental income or not.

Florida Airbnb Laws and Regulations

Florida short term rental laws define a short term rental as any individually or collectively owned house or dwelling unit that is used as a transient public lodging establishment but does not constitute a timeshare project. Florida distinguishes between two types of short term rentals:

• Vacation rental condo including a unit or a group of units in a building that are individually owned and rented out transiently
• Vacation rental dwelling including s single-family home, townhouse, duplex, triplex, or quadruplex rented out transiently

Renting out an entire unit for fewer than 30 days, more than three times per calendar year, requires obtaining a license from the Florida DBPR. Florida is one of the few US states which require a state-level short term rental license or permit. A single license can be issued for multiple vacation rental condos or vacation rental dwellings but cannot combine condos and dwellings together. Licenses have to be renewed on an annual or bi-annual (twice a year) basis.

Moreover, most Florida cities have introduced their own Airbnb laws and regulations, which can be very prohibitive in some cases. Most cities require a city-level license or permit when short term rentals are legal.

Running an Airbnb business in Florida means paying federal income tax, state sales tax, county discretionary sales surtax, and local transient rental tax. Rates vary between counties and cities.

Here are the Florida cities with the most restrictive short term rental laws:

• Miami: Short term vacation rentals of properties designated as Estate or Low Density Residential require hosts to reside on the property for more than six months per calendar year and be on site during rentals. Properties located on other land use categories do not face these restrictions. Obtaining a certificate of use is a must. Occupancy is limited to two persons per bedroom plus another four persons per property, not exceeding a total of 12 persons per property.
• Orlando: Short term rentals of entire living spaces are prohibited. When the host is on site, renting out on a short term basis is limited to half the bedrooms in a property and requires a registration with the City.
• Tampa: Properties can be rented out for seven days or less at a time only if they are located in certain zones.
• Jacksonville: Vacation rentals are allowed upon conditional approval in General Commercial and Historic Core and prohibited in all other residential districts. Obtaining a land use permit is required.
• Kissimmee: Short term rentals are defined as guest stays of less than six months and are allowed only in certain zoning districts upon obtaining a conditional use permit from the City.
• Saint Petersburg: Short term rentals are allowed unlimitedly in zoning districts that allow hotels and motels. In other zoning districts, they are limited to only three times in 12 consecutive months.
• Sarasota: Maximum occupancy in residential single-family zone districts is limited to two persons per bedroom plus another two persons per property, not exceeding ten persons per house. In residential multi-family zone districts, the cap is two persons per bedroom plus another two persons per property, not exceeding 12 persons per house. Certificate of registration is required.
• Clearwater Beach: Short term rentals are allowed only in Tourist Districts and Business Districts and are entirely prohibited in residentially zoned districts.
• Destin/Fort Walton: Airbnb-style rentals are permitted only in some zoning districts and require city-level short term rental registration. Maximum occupancy is restricted to two adults per bedroom plus another four persons per property, not exceeding 24 persons per rental.

Takeaway

Starting an Airbnb business in Florida is one of the best ways to make money with real estate. However, short term rental property investors can expect to face strict regulations (imposed by the state and individual cities) and strong competition (from other savvy investors). This means that optimizing your vacation rental property management strategy is key for the success of your rental business. The best way to do that is by hiring a professional Airbnb manager.

Awning emerges as the best Florida Airbnb management company across all cities as it offers full-service management at an industry-low fee of 15% of monthly revenue. Evolve and RedAwning are good options for investors who’d like to remain personally involved in the management of their rental properties. Master Vacation Homes is worth considering for those planning to buy a property with more than six bedrooms.

Awning is the top Florida property management company offering end-to-end services for Airbnb investors. Our services include 24/7 guest communication, dynamic pricing, calendar management, and more, and are available in all 50 states. Plus, our fees start at just 15% of your revenue, with no extra charges or fees.