Short-term rentals in Sunny Isles Beach follow two city rulebooks. One covers multi-family units like condos, the other covers single-family detached homes.
You handle city documents and taxes. A local person handles physical visits, cleaning and repairs. BnBGenius answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7.
If you rent out a multi-family unit, the license comes first.
“Owners or Responsible Parties operating a Short-Term Vacation Rental shall obtain a Short-Term Vacation Rental License prior to advertising, leasing or renting a multi-family dwelling unit.”
Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page
“A separate Short-Term Vacation Rental License is required for each Short-Term Vacation Rental unit. Licenses expire and must be renewed each year.”
Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page
What this means for you: Get the license before you advertise or rent the unit. Each unit needs its own license. Renew it every year.
What BnBGenius Does for a Host in Sunny Isles Beach
Answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7
See the Airbnb automated messages and Vrbo automated messages pages.
Requests a review from the guest and publishes the host’s review
Details are on the reviews page. Here is Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder:
“We went from reviewing 40% of stays to 100% overnight. The AI even thanked guests for things we fixed mid-stay. Our review-to-review rate jumped immediately.”
Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder, on bnbgenius.ai/reviews
Creates cleaning and repair tasks after checkout
Details are on the tasks page. Kent Morgan:
“We used to find out about issues in post-stay reviews. Now BnBGenius flags them mid-stay, creates the task, and our cleaners respond in under 15 minutes.”
Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder, on bnbgenius.ai/tasks
Answers guest calls with a voice AI agent (Voice Concierge, an add-on)
Details are on the voice page. It does not replace your responsible party. Kent Morgan:
“The concierge answered 84% of our after-hours calls last month without waking anyone up. Guests thought it was our in-house team the whole time.”
Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder, on bnbgenius.ai/voice
Sells gap nights, early check-in and late checkout
Details are on the upsells page. Kent Morgan:
“BnBGenius filled nine gap nights in the first month. $2.3k we would have lost. Guests got a friendly Airbnb message and we didn’t lift a finger.”
Kent Morgan, BnBGenius co-founder, on bnbgenius.ai/upsells
Is run from Telegram
See the Telegram page.
Your Local Person
The city sets duties for a responsible party on the multi-family path.
“A Responsible Party is an individual who is available to address problems with the rental of the property on a 24-hour-a-day basis, seven days a week. The Responsible Party must live locally within South Florida.”
Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page
“Be situated close enough to the property to be able to respond in person within one (1) hour of being notified by a rental occupant, law enforcement officer, emergency personnel, or the City of issues related to the rental.”
Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page
“Conduct an on-site inspection of the rental at the end of each rental period to ensure continued compliance with the requirements of the Short-Term Vacation Rental Ordinance.”
Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page
What this means for you: Pick one person who lives in South Florida. They must meet all the duties quoted above.
What the City Requires
For rules in other Florida cities and counties, see our Florida short-term rental laws page.
Single-family path.
| Single-family topic | City wording |
|---|---|
| Seasonal residents and registration | “SEASONAL RESIDENT — Guests, tourists, lessees, vacationers, or others who lease a single-family detached dwelling unit for valuable consideration for a period of time between one day and no more than six months.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach code) “It shall be unlawful for any person to allow another person to occupy any single-family detached dwelling unit as a seasonal resident within the City of Sunny Isles Beach or offer such rental services within the City of Sunny Isles Beach unless the person has been registered with the City of Sunny Isles Beach in accordance with the provisions of this section. A registration is required for each rental period for which the single-family detached dwelling is rented. No more than four registrations shall be issued within a 12-month period.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach code) |
| Parking | “That all vehicles must be parked in the driveway of the single-family detached dwelling unit and clear of all grassy areas and sidewalk sections pursuant to the City of Sunny Isles Beach Code of Ordinances;” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach code) |
What this means for you: A seasonal resident pays to stay from 1 day up to 6 months. Register with the city before you offer or allow such a rental. Each rental period needs its own registration, with at most 4 in 12 months. Guests must park in the driveway, off grass and sidewalks.
Multi-family license and fees.
| Multi-family license item | City wording |
|---|---|
| Fees | “Local Business Tax Receipt: $100 Vacation Rental License: $300 Late Vacation Rental License Payment Fee: $50” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page) |
| Expiry and renewal | “The Short-Term Vacation Rental License shall be valid for no more than one year, and all licenses shall expire on September 30 th of each year.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach code) “Short Term Vacation Rental License renewal applications will be accepted starting each year on August 1. Documents can be submitted online through your portal account. A renewal fee of $400 is paid after the application is reviewed and approved.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page) |
What this means for you: Check all 3 fees listed by the city. Use the quoted dates and the online portal. Pay the renewal fee only after review and approval.
Multi-family guest rules.
| Multi-family guest topic | City wording |
|---|---|
| Occupancy | “The maximum occupancy for Short-Term Vacation Rentals is up to two persons per bedroom, plus two additional persons per property. Up to a maximum of 12 persons. Excludes children under three years of age.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page) |
| Parking | “Parking Standard. Occupants and visitors to the Short-Term Vacation Rental shall comply with all relevant parking codes as set forth in the Code of Ordinances of the City Sunny Isles Beach.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach code) |
| Entrance posting | “In each Short-Term Vacation Rental, located outside or next to the main entrance door there shall be posted as a single page the following information: (1) The name, address and phone number of the Short-Term Vacation Rental Responsible Party. (2) The maximum occupancy of the Short-Term Vacation Rental. (3) Location of all proper parking spaces. (4) The days and times of trash pickup. (5) A copy of the building evacuation map (Minimum size of “8 ½” by 11″). (6) The local non-emergency police phone number. (7) Statement advising the occupant that the Owner shall terminate the occupancy for violations of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Sunny Isles Beach or any applicable State or Federal law.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach code) |
| Noise | “Owner or Responsible Party, and occupant shall abide by Chapter 193 of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Sunny Isles Beach, which prohibits unreasonably loud, excessive, unnecessary or unusual noise. In addition, outdoor amplified sound at a Short-Term Vacation Rental shall not be permitted at any time.” (Source: Sunny Isles Beach code) |
What this means for you: Follow all the guest rules quoted above. Post the full 7-item page outside or next to the main entrance door.
Penalties. The city lists penalties for violations.
“If you violate the short-term vacation rental Ordinance, within any continuous 12 month period: First Offense: $1,000 Second Offense: $2,500 Third Offense: $2,500 and 1-year suspension of Short-Term Vacation Rental License”
Source: Sunny Isles Beach city page
What this means for you: The city counts violations over any 12 months in a row. A third violation in that time brings a fine. The license is then suspended for 1 year.
Taxes
| Tax authority | Official wording |
|---|---|
| Florida state | “Florida’s 6% state sales tax, plus any applicable discretionary sales surtax, applies to rental charges or room rates paid for the right to use or occupy living quarters or sleeping or housekeeping accommodations for rental periods of six months or less, often called “transient accommodations” or “transient rentals.”” (Source: Florida Department of Revenue) |
| Miami-Dade local rate | “(2) Miami-Dade: 4% for Surfside and Bal Harbour, 7% for Miami Beach, and 6% for the rest of the county.” (Source: Florida Department of Revenue) |
| Miami-Dade surtax (2026) | “Miami-Dade 1% (.5%) Jan 1, 1992 None (.5%) Jan 1, 2003 None” (Source: Florida Department of Revenue DR-15DSS 2026) |
What this means for you: Florida’s tax applies to rental periods of 6 months or less. The county rates and exceptions are exactly as quoted. The surtax is 1%. BnBGenius is not an accounting tool, so check totals with a tax professional.
| Platform | Tax details listed |
|---|---|
| Airbnb | “Florida Transient Rental Tax: 6% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 182 nights and shorter.” (Source: Airbnb Help) “Florida Discretionary Sales Surtax: 0.5%-1.5% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 182 nights and shorter.” (Source: Airbnb Help) “Tourist Development Room Tax: 2% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 182 nights and shorter in Miami-Dade County. The tax is not applicable to reservations in Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside.” (Source: Airbnb Help) “Professional Sports Franchise Facility Tax: 1% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 182 nights and shorter. The tax is not applicable to reservations in Miami Beach, Bal Harbour and Surfside.” (Source: Airbnb Help) “Convention Development Tax: 3% of the listing price including any cleaning fee for reservations 182 nights and shorter in Miami-Dade County. The tax is not applicable to reservations located in Bal Harbour and Surfside.” (Source: Airbnb Help) |
| Vrbo | “Florida State Transient Rentals Tax, Discretionary County Surtax Note: Discretionary County Surtax is state tax surcharges required by various counties that Vrbo will also be collecting and remitting. These rates vary between 0.5-2%. The state of Florida under 184 nights December 1, 2018” (Source: Vrbo Help) “Miami Dade County County Tourist Development Tax Miami-Dade County under 184 nights April 1, 2020” (Source: Vrbo Help) |
What this means for you: Airbnb’s listings cover reservations of 182 nights and shorter. Vrbo’s cover stays under 184 nights. Vrbo’s county row lists no percentage. These are help-page listings, not a guarantee that every tax duty is covered.
Airbnb and Vrbo
| Arrival detail | Airbnb | Vrbo |
|---|---|---|
| Guest instructions | “Guests will see your check-in method (such as smart lock, keypad, or lock box) but they won’t see the detailed check-in instructions until 48 hours before check-in.” (Source: Airbnb Help) | “The welcome guide information is emailed to your guests in the language you wrote it in, three days before check-in.” (Source: Vrbo Help) |
What this means for you: On Airbnb, guests see detailed check-in instructions 48 hours before check-in. On Vrbo, the welcome guide is emailed 3 days before check-in. Keep your city-required guest instructions the same on both platforms.
How to Start
More City Guides
- Self-managing an Airbnb in Hallandale Beach, FL
- Self-managing an Airbnb in Hollywood, FL
- Airbnb rules in Miami Beach, FL
- Self-managing an Airbnb in Davie, FL
- Florida short-term rental laws by city
Rules and rates last checked on 3 October 2026.
