Fort Myers, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Fort Myers STRs averaged $301/night at 48.8% occupancy in April 2026 across a market of roughly 19,700 active listings.
Quick Answer: Fort Myers, 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 operates one of Southwest Florida’s largest short-term rental markets, with approximately 19,700 active listings across the city and surrounding Lee County communities. The market skews heavily toward entire-place rentals, which account for 19,050 of those listings (97% of the total), with private rooms making up the remaining 684 and shared rooms a negligible 7. In April 2026, the market posted an average daily rate of $301, an average occupancy rate of 48.8%, and a RevPAR of $147.
Channel distribution shows 12,026 listings active on both Airbnb and VRBO simultaneously, with 4,376 Airbnb-only and 3,339 VRBO-only properties. The bedroom mix spans 3,310 one-bedroom units, 5,474 two-bedrooms, 7,116 three-bedrooms, 3,013 four-bedrooms, and 814 properties with five or more bedrooms, indicating a market built primarily for groups and multi-night leisure stays rather than solo travelers.
Year-over-year as of April 2026, occupancy slipped 2.9 percentage points while ADR grew 4.9%, leaving overall revenue nearly flat at -0.2%. This divergence suggests the market absorbed post-hurricane-Ian recovery supply while rate growth remained intact. The investability score from the market data stands at 69.1 out of 100, and the revenue growth score is 76.4, reflecting a market where operator returns have trended upward over the longer term even as occupancy faces near-term pressure.
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
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?
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 presents a high-revenue-per-dollar-invested profile by Florida standards. With a typical home value of $312,436 (April 2026 Zillow estimate) and an average monthly revenue of $4,163 in April 2026, the simple annualized revenue projection is approximately $49,959, implying a gross yield of roughly 16.0% before operating costs. That figure reflects the April snapshot and is not representative of peak months, but even the seasonal trough months (August at $2,661 and September at $2,061) sustain meaningful income.
Tier differentiation is significant. Entire-home listings averaged $307.80/night versus $301.41 for all listings. Luxury-tier properties averaged $545.51/night, and professionally managed properties averaged $364.97/night, a 21% premium over the all-listings average. Revenue by property type shows houses at $4,382/month and entire-place units at $4,249/month, while apartments averaged $3,766/month.
Long-term trend: annual average revenue grew from $1,996 in 2017 to $3,885 in 2025, a 95% cumulative increase, with the 2026 partial-year pace tracking well above that. The 2022 peak at $3,945 annual average was followed by normalization in 2023-2024, consistent with the broader national STR market correction. The entry price point below $315,000 for a typical home, combined with the professionally managed premium, makes Fort Myers an accessible market for investors seeking professional management.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Fort Myers guests book an average of 63 days in advance as of April 2026, a lead time consistent with travelers planning seasonal and vacation stays rather than last-minute weekend escapes. This 9-week booking window gives operators meaningful pricing leverage: rates set 60-90 days out can be adjusted based on fill rate before the window closes, and last-minute discounting is rarely necessary for well-positioned properties during peak season.
Average length of stay is 5.71 nights, indicating that most guests are booking multi-night leisure trips rather than single-night stops. This reduces turnover costs and cleaning frequency per occupied night, which benefits net margins. Operators should structure minimum-stay policies to favor 5-7 night minimums during peak months (January-March) and consider reducing minimums to 3-4 nights in the softer summer months to maintain occupancy.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Fort Myers operates under Florida’s state preemption framework established by F.S. 509.032(7)(b), which bars local governments from prohibiting STRs or imposing caps on rental duration or frequency unless the local ordinance predated June 1, 2011. Fort Myers did not have such an ordinance, so the city imposes no maximum nights per year, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no primary-residence restriction.
Operators must obtain two licenses: a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental license (required for any unit rented more than three times per year for periods under 30 days) and a City of Fort Myers Business Tax Receipt. There is no published per-unit permit fee in the city’s current data. The license renews annually.
On the tax side, hosts owe a 5% Lee County Tourist Development Tax on stays of six months or less, plus 6% Florida state sales tax and a 0.5% Lee County discretionary surtax, totaling approximately 11.5%. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit the TDT automatically for transactions processed through their platforms; hosts using third-party property management software must register with Lee County and remit independently.
Enforcement is rated moderate. The city relies primarily on business tax receipt compliance, occupancy limits, parking, and life-safety rules rather than dedicated STR inspections. Important distinction: Fort Myers Beach (Town of Fort Myers Beach on Estero Island) is a separate municipality with a stricter registration program and should not be confused with mainland Fort Myers.
Market Comparison
Fort Myers’ April 2026 ADR of $301 sits well above the US STR median of approximately $220/night, reflecting the premium Gulf Coast leisure market and the concentration of entire-home inventory. However, the 48.8% occupancy rate trails the US STR median of approximately 55%, consistent with a market that saw supply growth outpace demand in the post-Ian recovery period.
The professional management presence is substantial. Roelens Realty and Property Management leads with 611 listings and 8,126 reviews at a 4.58 rating. Evolve follows with 445 listings, 11,614 reviews, and a 4.62 rating. Vacasa holds 312 listings at a 4.45 rating. Together, the top three managers account for approximately 1,368 listings, representing around 7% of the estimated 19,700-listing market. The market is fragmented, with the majority of listings operated by individual hosts.
The investability score of 69.1 and revenue growth score of 76.4 compare favorably to other Florida markets facing more restrictive regulatory environments. The market’s Lee County-wide tourism base of 3.3 million annual visitors and $3.3 billion in direct spending provides a durable demand foundation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Myers, Florida
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