Fort Myers Beach, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Fort Myers Beach STRs averaged $301/night at 48.8% occupancy in April 2026 drawing from 3.3 million annual visitors.
Quick Answer: Fort Myers Beach, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 49%. average monthly revenue is $4,163. average daily rate is $301. the top operator is Roelens Realty & Property Management with 611 listings. market score is 48/100 (grade D).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Fort Myers Beach occupies Estero Island on Florida’s southwest Gulf Coast and draws approximately 3.3 million annual visitors. The STR market has been recovering from Hurricane Ian (2022) and subsequent storms that reduced available inventory; approximately 19,727 listings are tracked by bedroom count, with 19,050 classified as entire-place rentals. In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $301.41 and an occupancy rate of 48.8%, yielding a RevPAR of $147.09 and average monthly revenue of $4,163 per listing.
Year-over-year comparisons for April 2026 show occupancy down 2.9 percentage points and revenue essentially flat (down 0.19%), while ADR rose 4.9%. The 2025 full-year average was 56.1% occupancy, $260 ADR, and $3,885 per month in revenue. The 2026 year-to-date trend (average through April) shows stronger occupancy at 69.3% and $292 ADR, reflecting high winter-season demand.
By bedroom count, 3-bedroom properties lead with 7,116 listings, followed by 2-bedroom (5,474), 1-bedroom (3,310), 4-bedroom (3,013), and 5-bedroom (814). Multi-channel listings dominate: 12,026 appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 4,376 are Airbnb-only, and 3,339 are VRBO-only. The market’s revenue growth score of 76.36 out of 100 is the strongest dimension score, while the total market score of 47.78 reflects the ongoing post-hurricane recovery and regulatory complexity.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67% | $231 | $3,722 |
| Feb | 82% | $256 | $4,514 |
| Mar | 80% | $280 | $5,315 |
| Apr | 53% | $250 | $3,530 |
| May | 50% | $215 | $2,892 |
| Jun | 60% | $242 | $3,561 |
| Jul | 62% | $230 | $3,724 |
| Aug | 44% | $205 | $2,661 |
| Sep | 40% | $188 | $2,061 |
| Oct | 52% | $206 | $2,453 |
| Nov | 59% | $210 | $2,778 |
| Dec | 61% | $241 | $3,292 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Fort Myers Beach
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roelens Realty & Property Management | 611 | 8,126 | ★ 4.58 |
| 2 | Evolve | 445 | 11,614 | ★ 4.62 |
| 3 | Vacasa | 312 | 4,497 | ★ 4.45 |
| 4 | Sun Palace | 278 | 3,965 | ★ 4.60 |
| 5 | Royal Shell Vacations | 251 | 1,889 | ★ 4.64 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Fort Myers Beach?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 3,310 |
| 2 bed | 5,474 |
| 3 bed | 7,116 |
| 4 bed | 3,013 |
| 5 bed | 814 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $308 |
| Luxury | $546 |
| Professionally Managed | $365 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $3,766 |
| Entire Place | $4,249 |
| House | $4,382 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 22.2% |
| vrbo | 16.9% |
| both | 60.9% |
Investment Analysis
Fort Myers Beach presents a post-disaster recovery investment thesis with notable upside and corresponding risk. Hurricane Ian (2022) and subsequent storms destroyed a significant share of lodging inventory, and rebuilding continues through 2025 and 2026. Compliant operators with restored or new properties are capturing elevated demand with less competition.
Using the 2025 annual average monthly revenue of $3,885, annualized gross revenue is approximately $46,620, representing a gross yield of about 9.4% on the typical home value of $495,329 (Zillow, April 2026). However, home prices reflect the post-storm distortion: the median sale price reached $575,333 and the median list price $695,983, with buyers taking steep discounts (sale-to-list ratio of 0.827) and properties sitting 133 days median before going pending.
Professionally managed listings command a 21% rate premium: the tier_professionally_managed ADR of $364.97 compares to the all-listing average of $301.41. Luxury properties reached $545.51 per night. These premiums suggest that quality and presentation matter significantly in a market where guests are paying a premium for functional, post-storm properties.
The 133-day median time to pending signals that sellers are not finding buyers quickly, creating opportunities for investors to negotiate. The high for-sale inventory of 582 units further supports a buyer’s market dynamic for acquisition.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Fort Myers Beach guests book an average of 63.0 days ahead as of April 2026, just over a 9-week advance window. This reflects the planning habits of winter visitors who lock in Gulf Coast stays well before their travel dates. For peak months (February and March), many reservations arrive in October and November.
The average length of stay is 5.71 nights, the longest among the 10 markets in this analysis. This extended stay pattern reflects the beach destination character: guests travel from distant markets for full-week or longer vacations, not quick weekend trips. A 5.7-night average reduces turnover frequency and associated cleaning costs. Operators should structure pricing with 5 to 7 night minimums during peak season and allow shorter 3 to 4 night minimums during shoulder months to capture residual weekend demand.
The combination of 63-day lead time and 5.7-night average stay gives operators a predictable booking pipeline well in advance of arrival, enabling dynamic pricing adjustments as the calendar fills.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Fort Myers Beach operates one of Florida’s more structured STR registration programs under Ordinance 18-01 and Division 32-A of the Land Development Code.
All STR operators must register through the Town’s Rentalscape online portal. Registration costs $300 per unit and renews annually. Paper applications are no longer accepted. Before approval, properties must pass a fire-life-safety inspection by the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District. Condo units must submit an HOA opt-out letter and bylaws certification.
A Florida DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling License is also required (state fee of $150). The combined lodging tax is 11.5%: 6% Florida state sales tax, 0.5% Lee County discretionary surtax (in effect through December 2028), and 5% Lee County Tourist Development Tax on stays of six months or less.
A critical regulatory feature: properties are assigned to weekly or monthly rental zones by the Town, tied to specific streets and neighborhoods. Weekly zones allow one rental per week; monthly zones allow one per month with a minimum one-week stay. Owners cannot change their zone designation. This means not all Fort Myers Beach properties are eligible for nightly or weekend rentals.
Enforcement is active: a 24-hour violations hotline (239-944-3956) routes complaints to Town code enforcement and a special magistrate. Violations can result in fines, suspension, or revocation of registration. No owner-occupancy requirement and no annual cap on rental nights apply, but zone-based rental frequency controls effectively limit scheduling.
Market Comparison
Fort Myers Beach’s April 2026 ADR of $301.41 is well above the US STR median of approximately $220 per night, reflecting the Gulf Coast beach premium. At 48.8% occupancy in April, the market is below the US STR median of about 55%, but April is a transitional month: February and March push above 80% occupancy, substantially outperforming national benchmarks during those peak weeks.
Five property management companies lead the market. Roelens Realty and Property Management tops the list with 611 listings (4.58 rating, 8,126 reviews), followed by Evolve with 445 listings (4.62 rating, 11,614 reviews), Vacasa with 312 listings (4.45 rating, 4,497 reviews), Sun Palace with 278 listings (4.60 rating, 3,965 reviews), and Royal Shell Vacations with 251 listings (4.64 rating, 1,889 reviews). These five operators together account for approximately 1,897 listings, roughly 9.6% of the estimated 19,727-listing market. The relatively fragmented market outside the top operators leaves room for independent or boutique management strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Myers Beach, Florida
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