This page covers the City of Kissimmee only, not unincorporated Osceola County. Kissimmee restricts short-term rentals in its residential districts. The quoted rules below describe qualified approval cases where a rental can be legal. You check your address, approvals, licenses and taxes. People you arrange do on-site visits and physical cleaning and repairs. If the address and proposed use qualify, BnBGenius answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7 and creates cleaning and repair tasks after checkout.
What Is Banned or Limited
The starting point is the city’s residential restriction.
“The rental of a dwelling for less than 30 days in a residential district is prohibited except in the following cases: 1. The dwelling is located in an SRPUD or MUPUD district within an STRO district and the dwelling was approved by the city for short-term rental or time-share use during the planned unit development approval process or the dwelling was approved prior to the creation of STRO district regulations and the approval remains in effect. 2. The dwelling is approved as a conditional use in a residential district (see Table 4-1) in accordance with this section and is located in a STRO district, or was approved prior to the creation of STRO district regulations and the approval remains in effect.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: In a residential district, renting for fewer than 30 days is barred. The quote lists the approval cases that allow it. Earlier approvals count only while they remain in effect. Ask the city which case covers your actual dwelling.
Where Short-Term Rentals Are Allowed
The overlay district sets where short-term rental developments may go.
“Short-term rental developments and time-share dwelling developments are only allowed in the Short-Term Rental Overlay (STRO) District if listed as a permitted or conditional use in Table 4-1 and section 15-4-8 planned unit development districts. No short-term rentals or time-share units shall be allowed unless they comply with the requirements of section 14-6-44 (Short-Term Rentals and Time-Share Units). It is not the intent of this district to deny the continued use of short-term rentals where previously approved. Legally existing short-term rentals and time-share dwellings are subject to the provisions of section 14-1-12 (Nonconforming Uses).”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: These developments are allowed only in the STRO District, and only as a listed use. They must also meet the short-term rental requirements in the quote. Legally existing rentals follow the quoted rules for such uses. The overlay alone is not an approval.
The next quote adds housing-type and standards conditions.
“Short-term rentals and time-share dwellings within the STRO district must utilize a housing type (single family, duplex, and the like) authorized by the underlying district. 4. Short-term rentals and time-share dwellings must satisfy the standards of the underlying district and other standards of this chapter which apply to the particular housing type involved or underlying zoning district. In addition, all short-term rentals and time-share dwellings requiring conditional use approval must comply with the provisions of sections 14-3-29.F (Conditional Uses – Review Criteria), 14-6-44 (Short-Term Rentals), and 14-6-44 (Time-Share Dwellings).”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: Your dwelling must use a housing type the base zone allows. It must meet that zone’s rules and any other rules that apply. If a conditional use is needed, the quoted review criteria apply too.
How to Check Your Address
First, a warning about the postal address.
“Although your address may say Kissimmee , you might be in unincorporated Osceola County, where BTRs are handled by Osceola County . If you are outside of city limits you may only need an Osceola County BTR.”
Source: City of Kissimmee
What this means for you: A Kissimmee mailing address does not prove you are inside the city. Outside city limits, the county handles the business tax receipt.
The city gives three numbered steps for checking a property.
“Step 1. Check your eligibility Type in your address and use our zoning map to ensure you are within city limits and to see how your property is zoned. Check Zoning Map Step 2. Check property use Based on the zoning district, verify potential uses for the property. Check Property Zoning Classifications Step 3. Consult a Planner If applicable, consult a City Planner to verify potential and determine if any other improvements are required. Call us at 407-518-2140 Email us at [email protected]”
Source: City of Kissimmee
What this means for you: Check city limits and zoning on the map. Then check the allowed uses for that zone. Then ask a planner to confirm the use and any needed work. Call the city if anything is unclear.
The city’s zoning map is available here: Kissimmee zoning map.
What the City Requires Where Rentals Are Allowed
Business Tax Receipt and State License
The city requires a business tax receipt before any business opens.
“You must pay a tax to operate any business within the City of Kissimmee limits. A business tax receipt is your proof of payment and is required before a business opens.”
Source: City of Kissimmee
What this means for you: Pay the city business tax before you open. The receipt is your proof of payment.
For short-term rentals, the city also requires state license proof.
“The city manager shall require as a condition to the issuance of a business tax receipt for short term rentals, vacation rentals, proof of license issued by the division of hotels and restaurants of the department of business regulation in accordance with F.S. ch. 509.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: Show the state license proof named in the quote before the city issues your receipt. Keep it with your city paperwork.
Business Tax Amount and Expiry
The code sets the tax per short-term rental unit.
“Short term rental unit, per unit (first unit included) $50.00”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: The city taxes each unit. The first unit is included in the quoted figure. Read the amount from the quote.
The code also states when a receipt runs out, with exceptions.
“Except as otherwise provided, the business tax receipt shall expire on September 30 of each year. If September 30 falls on a weekend or holiday, the tax is due and payable on or before the first working day following September 30. No business tax receipt shall be issued for more than one year.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: Unless the code says otherwise, the receipt ends on September 30. If that day is a weekend or holiday, the tax is due the next working day. No receipt lasts more than a year. Set a reminder before renewal.
Application, Inspection and Both Receipts
The city lists the steps from application to the county receipt.
“Step 3. Staff will review your application After applying online, staff will review the proposed request for compliance with City standards and offer any applicable comments. Step 4. Schedule an inspection Once approved, install any applicable improvements, schedule an inspection with Kissimmee Fire Department by calling 407-518-2202 , and obtain approval. Step 5. Receive your Business Tax Receipt After payment, your Business Tax Receipt is to be printed and displayed at your business. Step 6. Get your Osceola County Business Tax Receipt All businesses in the City of Kissimmee must have both a City of Kissimmee and an Osceola County BTR. Osceola County will require that proof of payment is shown, before issuing the Osceola County BTR. Apply for Osceola County BTR”
Source: City of Kissimmee
What this means for you: Staff review your application and send comments. Once approved, install any needed improvements and pass the fire inspection. After payment, print your city receipt and display it. You also need the county receipt, and the county wants proof of city payment first.
New Development Standards
New short-term rental developments face size, access and buffer standards.
“New short-term rentals and time-share dwellings shall meet the following standards: 1. Minimum project size. Two acres and at least 12 dwelling units. 2. Roadway access. Direct access to a collector or arterial road. 3. Buffer. The development shall be separated on each side from areas which have not been approved for short-term rental or time-share dwelling use by a 15-foot or wider common area buffer with dense vegetation or a wall at least six feet high. A waiver to the size of the buffer may be granted by the DRC when the development is adjacent to a non-residential district.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: These quoted standards sit under the new-development subsection. A new project must meet the quoted size and road access rules. It must be separated from areas not approved for this use by the quoted buffer. The DRC can waive the buffer size next to a non-residential district.
Converting existing dwellings has its own threshold.
“Conversion of existing dwellings to short-term rental or time-share units shall not be approved unless at least 80 percent, or the more restrictive standard in any specific property regulations controlling the property (example: association documents), of the owners in the development demonstrate acceptance of the conversion in a manner suitable to the city attorney.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: A conversion needs acceptance from at least 80 percent of owners, or a stricter standard if the property’s own rules set one. The acceptance must be in a form the city attorney accepts. Ask which standard controls your parcel.
Sales contracts and licenses carry further conditions.
“All sales contracts involving the sale of lots or dwelling units in short-term rental or time-share developments shall indicate in bold red type that residential lots in the development may be used for short-term rental or time-share residential units. 8. Licenses. Applicable city, county, and state licenses shall be obtained. 9. Other conditions. Developments shall comply with any other conditions deemed necessary and just.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: Sales contracts in these developments must carry the quoted disclosure in bold red type. Applicable city, county and state licenses must be obtained. The quote lists further development conditions. This is a contract rule, not a listing-advertising rule.
Association Responsibility
Common area buffers fall to the owners’ association.
“Developments shall be subject to a property owners’ association which is responsible for suitably maintaining all common area buffers and which has the authority to assess all property owners for common area buffer maintenance expenses.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: These developments need an owners’ association. It maintains the common buffers. It can bill all owners for that work.
Fines and Enforcement
The special magistrate hears code violations.
“The special magistrate has jurisdiction to hear violations and enforce all codes and ordinances in force in the city.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: This city role hears cases about city rules and can enforce them.
Orders set compliance dates and can carry fines.
“The order may include a notice that the violation must come into compliance by a specified date, and that a fine may be imposed if the order is not complied with by said date. If the special magistrate finds a repeat violation has been committed, the special magistrate may order the violator to pay a fine for each day the repeat violation continues past the date of the notice to the violator of the repeat violation. (9) Said order shall be reduced to writing within ten business days and mailed to the violator by certified mail, return receipt requested.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: An order may set a date to come into compliance. A fine may follow if you do not comply by that date. For a repeat finding, a daily fine may apply for each day the repeat violation continues past the notice date. The order must be put in writing within ten business days. Read your order for the dates.
There is a short window to challenge a noncompliance finding.
“If the special magistrate’s order has not been complied with by the date specified in the order, an affidavit of noncompliance shall be issued. If the respondent wishes to challenge the code enforcement officer’s finding of noncompliance, a request may be made for a code enforcement hearing before the special magistrate. This request must be made within five days of the respondent’s receipt of the affidavit of noncompliance as determined from the return receipt, code enforcement officer’s service, or (if neither of the preceding is applicable), then five days after posting a copy of the affidavit of noncompliance on the real property. Such code enforcement hearing shall be limited to the issue of whether the respondent has complied with the previous order of the special magistrate.”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: If you have not complied with the order by its date, the city issues the paper named in the quote. To challenge it, ask for a hearing within five days. The count starts from the return receipt or the officer’s service. If neither applies, it starts when a copy is posted on the property. The hearing covers only whether you met the earlier order. Get procedure questions answered by the city.
If the city prevails, it recovers its costs.
“If the city prevails in enforcing a case before the special magistrate, it shall be entitled to recover all costs incurred in enforcing the case before the special magistrate, and such costs may be included in the lien, including recording costs, authorized under F.S. § 162.09(3).”
Source: City of Kissimmee code
What this means for you: If the city wins, it can recover all its enforcement costs, including recording costs. Those costs may go into a lien.
Taxes
Florida taxes transient rentals at the state level.
“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 DOR
What this means for you: Florida’s 6% state sales tax, plus any surtax that applies, covers stays of six months or less. Short stays fall inside this rule.
The state’s transient rental form lists a county rate.
“Osceola 6% County”
Source: Florida DOR DR-15TDT
What this means for you: The state form lists Osceola at 6% for this tax. Check the current form each year.
The 2026 surtax row has two components with end dates.
“Osceola 1.5% (1%) Sep 1, 1990 Dec 31, 2045 (.5%) Jan 1, 2017 Dec 31, 2036”
Source: Florida DOR DR-15DSS R. 11/25
What this means for you: Osceola’s surtax is 1.5%, split into 1% and 0.5%. Each part has its own listed end date. Do not add these into a new number yourself.
Osceola County also charges a tourist development tax.
“Effective July 1, 2004, the Tourist Development Tax increased to 6% in Osceola County”
Source: Osceola County Tax Collector
What this means for you: The county tourist tax is 6%. This is a county tax rule, separate from the city zoning rules above.
The person receiving the rent must remit it.
“The person receiving the rent is responsible for remitting the tax regardless of where the payment exchange takes place.”
Source: Osceola County Tax Collector
What this means for you: Whoever receives the rent must send the tax in, no matter where payment happens. If a management company collects rent, ask who remits.
The county is not contracted with booking platforms.
“Osceola County is NOT CONTRACTED with Airbnb, VRBO, Evolve, or any other third-party booking platforms. It is the responsibility of the property owners and agents to collect and remit the 6% tourist tax to the Osceola County Tax Collector for all short-term rentals.”
Source: Osceola County Tax Collector
What this means for you: The county says it has no contract with Airbnb, Vrbo or other booking platforms. Owners and agents must collect and remit the 6% tourist tax to the county Tax Collector.
BnBGenius is not an accounting tool. Track your tax remittance yourself or with an accountant.
| Platform | What its help page lists | What the owner checks |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | Whether these state-level rows cover everything owed locally |
| Airbnb | “Hosts may need to manually collect and remit other applicable taxes on their stay or experience price.” (Source: Airbnb Help) | Whether other applicable taxes must be collected and remitted manually |
| Vrbo | “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) | Whether these state-level rows cover everything owed locally |
| Vrbo | “You’re also responsible for collecting and remitting lodging taxes when we’re not liable to do so.” (Source: Vrbo Help) | Whether you must collect and remit lodging taxes when Vrbo is not liable |
What this means for you: Both platforms list generic Florida state and surtax rows. Neither shows an Osceola-specific entry. The county quote above says owners and agents remit the 6% tourist tax themselves.
If Your Address Qualifies: What BnBGenius Does
Answers Guest Messages 24/7
BnBGenius answers guest messages on Airbnb and Vrbo 24/7. For message wording ideas, see Airbnb automated messages and Vrbo automated messages, plus check-in and check-out templates at Airbnb message templates.
Reviews
BnBGenius requests a review from the guest and publishes the host’s review. More background on review mechanics is at reviews.
Kent Morgan shared his experience with reviews.
“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.”
Source: BnBGenius
Cleaning and Repair Tasks
BnBGenius creates cleaning and repair tasks after checkout. You arrange the physical work yourself. For a cleaning baseline, see the Airbnb cleaning checklist and the tasks page.
Kent Morgan described how tasks changed his operation.
“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.”
Source: BnBGenius
Voice Concierge
BnBGenius answers guest calls with a voice AI agent (Voice Concierge, an add-on). More details are on the voice add-on page.
Kent Morgan reported on the voice add-on.
“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.”
Source: BnBGenius
Upsells
BnBGenius sells gap nights, early check-in and late checkout. See upsells for how it works.
Kent Morgan described upsell results.
“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.”
Source: BnBGenius
Telegram and Setup
BnBGenius is run from Telegram. For the Telegram setup workflow, see the Telegram guide. Pricing details are at pricing.
Airbnb and Vrbo
Both platforms prompt reviews, but on different schedules.
| Feature | Airbnb | Vrbo |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | “On the day of checkout, both the guest and their host will be prompted to leave a review . Both parties will have 14 days after checkout to submit their review.” (Source: Airbnb Help) | “You and your guests have 180 days to provide your review. Once one party submits their review, the other party has 14 days to complete their review.” (Source: Vrbo Help) |
What this means for you: On Airbnb, both sides get 14 days after checkout. On Vrbo, both sides get 180 days. After one side submits, the other has 14 days to finish. The windows differ, so note each platform’s dates.
How to Start
Check city limits and zoning on the map, then ask a planner about the actual approval for your dwelling. Line up the state license, the city and county receipts, and your tax remittance. Then choose how to run the remote side.
More City Guides
- Airbnb rules in Haines City, FL
- Self-managing an Airbnb in Cocoa Beach, FL
- Airbnb rules in New Smyrna Beach, FL
- Airbnb rules in Tarpon Springs, FL
- Florida short-term rental laws by city
Rules and rates last checked on 3 October 2026.
