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St. Johns County has become one of Northeast Florida’s most active markets for short-term rental (STR) investment, thanks to its proximity to St. Augustine’s historic district, the beaches of Ponte Vedra and Vilano, and a steady year-round flow of visitors. Before you buy a property with vacation-rental income in mind, it pays to understand the rules and the numbers. Here’s what David tells clients exploring this strategy.
Why St. Johns County Attracts Short-Term Rental Investors
The county’s appeal comes down to a few consistent drivers: a historic downtown and beach access that draw visitors nearly every month of the year, strong population and tourism growth across Northeast Florida, and cash-flow potential that can outperform a traditional long-term lease when a property is well located and well managed. That upside comes with more regulatory and operational complexity than a standard rental, which is why the next section matters most.
Know the Rules Before You Buy
Florida law limits how far local governments can go in restricting vacation rentals outright: cities and counties generally cannot ban short-term rentals or regulate the length or frequency of stays, unless they had an ordinance in place before June 1, 2011. A 2024 legislative effort to centralize vacation rental regulation at the state level (SB 280 / HB 1537) passed the Legislature but was vetoed, so regulation for 2025-2026 remains a local patchwork layered on top of that state framework.
In practice, that means St. Johns County and the City of St. Augustine can still require registration, inspections, and compliance with occupancy, parking, noise, and trash rules, even though they cannot prohibit rentals outright. Points David walks buyers through before they write an offer:
- Every short-term rental unit in unincorporated St. Johns County must be registered with the county and renewed every 12 months, with a tiered fee schedule based on bedroom count.
- Owners generally need a Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Vacation Rental Dwelling license, a Florida Department of Revenue sales and use tax registration, and a St. Johns County Business Tax Receipt. If you rent through Airbnb, VRBO, or a similar platform, you will also need a statement confirming the platform’s tax collection and remittance.
- Recent changes to the county’s Land Development Code cap occupancy at 10 guests for rentals in unincorporated areas east of the Intracoastal Waterway, phased in over three years for existing rentals, with exceptions for owner-occupied properties, certain duplexes, and units inside HOA- or condo-managed communities.
- The City of St. Augustine has its own separate short-term rental rules, distinct from the unincorporated county, so the property’s exact jurisdiction matters.
- HOA and condo association rules are often stricter than local government rules, and many communities limit or prohibit short-term rentals entirely, regardless of what the county allows.
Because these rules shift with local ordinance updates and ongoing state legislative activity, David always recommends confirming current requirements directly with St. Johns County or the City of St. Augustine, and reviewing the HOA documents, before making an offer on a property intended for short-term rental use. This article is general information, not legal advice.
What Makes a Property STR-Ready
Not every home makes a strong short-term rental. David looks for properties that check most of these boxes:
- Location near St. Augustine’s historic downtown, the beaches, golf destinations, or event venues that draw repeat visitors.
- Amenities guests search for, such as a pool, walkability to downtown or the beach, and dedicated parking.
- Zoning and permitting that clearly support short-term rental use in that specific location, confirmed before closing rather than assumed.
How David Evaluates an STR Deal
Once a property clears the regulatory checklist, David runs the numbers the way an investor would, not just a homebuyer:
- Cash-on-cash return based on realistic occupancy assumptions, not best-case projections.
- Comparable nightly rate research pulled from similar properties actually operating in the same submarket.
- Property management costs and options, since a self-managed rental and a professionally managed one carry very different expense profiles.
Ready to explore a short-term rental investment in St. Johns County? Schedule a phone consultation with David to review current listings and run the numbers on a specific property.
