Cape Canaveral, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Cape Canaveral STRs averaged $239/night at 60.2% occupancy in April 2026 across 6,500+ active listings.
Quick Answer: Cape Canaveral, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is 67%. average monthly revenue in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is $4,433. average daily rate in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is $246. the top operator in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is Happy Palm Stays with 408 listings. market score is 62/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Melbourne/Titusville regional market, which includes Cape Canaveral. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Cape Canaveral.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
The Cape Canaveral short-term rental market covers Florida’s Space Coast (Brevard County), a market anchored by Port Canaveral — the world’s second-busiest cruise homeport — and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. As of April 2026, the market carried an average daily rate of $239 and an occupancy rate of 60.2%, producing average monthly revenue of $3,956 per active listing. RevPAR came in at $143.77.
The market includes approximately 6,500 active listings. Entire-place listings dominate at 5,976 units (roughly 92% of the total), with 558 private-room listings and just 3 shared-room units. By bedroom count, 2-bedroom properties are the most common at 2,328 listings, followed by 1-bedroom (1,718), 3-bedroom (1,529), 4-bedroom (602), and 5-bedroom (347).
Channel distribution shows strong multi-platform presence: 3,550 listings appear on both Airbnb and VRBO, 2,260 are Airbnb-exclusive, and 727 are VRBO-only. The market’s rental demand score of 88.96 out of 100 is among the stronger readings in Florida’s coastal markets.
Year-over-year, occupancy declined 3.5% and ADR rose 0.54%, producing a net revenue decline of 3.95% versus April 2025. The 2024 and 2025 annual average revenue figures were both around $3,700, suggesting the April 2026 reading reflects a period of stabilization rather than a structural shift.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 65% |
| Feb | 81% |
| Mar | 81% |
| Apr | 63% |
| May | 61% |
| Jun | 71% |
| Jul | 72% |
| Aug | 56% |
| Sep | 49% |
| Oct | 56% |
| Nov | 57% |
| Dec | 59% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Cape Canaveral are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Melbourne/Titusville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Melbourne/Titusville market as a whole, which includes Cape Canaveral, so these counts are not Cape Canaveral-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Palm Stays | 408 | 13,709 | ★ 4.82 |
| 2 | Beachside Vacation Rentals | 284 | 8,885 | ★ 4.70 |
| 3 | Evolve | 111 | 5,255 | ★ 4.69 |
| 4 | Beachside VR | 65 | 1,862 | ★ 4.49 |
| 5 | Vacasa | 63 | 1,562 | ★ 4.32 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Cape Canaveral?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Cape Canaveral are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 34.6% |
| vrbo | 11.1% |
| both | 54.3% |
Home Value Trends (Cape Canaveral)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Cape Canaveral are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Cape Canaveral — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Cape Canaveral requires three separate credentials to operate legally: a City of Cape Canaveral Business Tax Receipt (BTR), a Brevard County BTR, and an annual Vacation Rental Registration through the city’s Deckard portal. Operators renting for under 30 days more than three times per year also need a Florida DBPR transient lodging license. The program launched October 1, 2021 under Ordinance No. 10-2021.
Permit costs (effective October 1, 2025): Annual Registration is $450 per unit for non-homesteaded properties and $300 for homesteaded properties. Safety inspection costs $100. Late registration is $150. The City BTR adds approximately $57.50 base, and Brevard County BTR is an additional annual cost. The Florida transient rental tax rate for this market is 5.0%.
A critical zoning constraint applies: properties in R-1, R-2, and R-3 residential zones face a grandfathered minimum 7-consecutive-night stay requirement. This predates Florida’s 2011 state preemption law and is legally enforceable. Only C-1 commercial-zoned and certain non-conforming multi-family properties may offer shorter stays. Owner-occupancy and primary-residence requirements do not apply.
Occupancy is capped by conditioned square footage: up to 2,000 sq ft allows 8 guests; 2,001-3,000 sq ft allows 10; 3,001-4,500 sq ft allows 12; over 4,500 sq ft allows 14. Individual room rentals are prohibited; the entire unit must be rented. A 24-hour local contact must be able to respond within one hour. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
Cape Canaveral’s April 2026 occupancy of 60.2% is modestly above the US STR median of approximately 55%. Its ADR of $239 is above the US median of roughly $220, reflecting the coastal location and cruise-port demand premium. RevPAR of $144 is above average for the Southeast Florida coastal segment.
The market total score of 62.39 (out of 100) is mid-tier, driven by a strong rental demand score (88.96) and investability (77.89), offset by below-average revenue growth (48.29) and moderate regulatory scores (60.01).
Operator concentration is notable. Happy Palm Stays leads with 408 listings and 13,709 reviews (average rating 4.82), making it the dominant local operator. Beachside Vacation Rentals holds 284 listings with 8,885 reviews (4.70 rating). Evolve rounds out the top three with 111 listings and 5,255 reviews (4.69 rating). The top three operators together account for roughly 803 listings, or approximately 12% of the market, indicating a competitive but not monopolized landscape. Independent operators hold the majority of inventory.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cape Canaveral, Florida
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