Short-Term Rentals

After extensive review and consideration, which began in October of 2015, City Council adopted amendments to the Unified Development Ordinance regarding short-term rentals, such as those found on Airbnb.com and VRBO.com, on March 20, 2017. The basics of these new ordinance requirements are outlined below, but a full copy of the ordinance can be downloaded by clicking the link to the right.

Download Complete Ordinance

  1. Ordinance_2017-08_Short_Term_Rental_Uses.pdf

Definition


A Short-Term Rental is defined as "a private residential property that is rented, either in whole, or part, for periods of less than 30 days for compensation."

Where are They Allowed?

Short-term rentals are allowed in the following zoning districts: General Residential (GR4 or GR6), Residential Mixed Use (RMX), Neighborhood Mixed Use (NMX), and Downtown Mixed Use (DMX). They are not allowed in Corridor Mixed Use (CMX), Institutional Campus (IC), or General Industrial (GI) districts.

Do I Need a Permit?

No, an official permit from the City of Brevard is not required. 

Any Restrictions? 

Occupancy of a short-term rental is limited to two persons per bed room plus an additional two. The number of "bedrooms" used in calculating occupancy
limits shall be taken from the property tax records. For example: a rental with two bedrooms would have an occupancy limit of six: 2 people x 2 bedrooms = 4 + 2 additional people = 6 people total.

Rentals are not permitted any signs and dwellings used as short-term rentals in General Residential zoning districts shall maintain their residential character and appearance.

What About Parking?

The amount of parking required is dictated by the type of dwelling being used as a rental. For example, with single-family houses or duplexes this means two spaces are required, and for an accessory dwelling unit like a mother-in-law cottage only one space.

What If I'm Only Renting Once or Twice Per Year?

Incidental residential rentals, that is when your house is rented no more than twice in any calendar year for less than 14 total nights, are not considered as short-term rental uses and are therefore not covered by these ordinance amendments.