Fort Myers, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Lee County short-term rentals averaged a $226 ADR, 38.2% occupancy and $2,411 monthly revenue in September 2026.
Quick Answer: Fort Myers, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area is 38%. average monthly revenue in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area is $2,411. average daily rate in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area is $226. the top operator in the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area is Roelens Realty & Property Management with 611 listings. market score is 48/100 (grade D).
Market data reflects the Cape Coral/Fort Myers regional market, which includes Fort Myers. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Fort Myers.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
This profile covers the Fort Myers short-term rental market as of September 2026. Performance data for Fort Myers is tracked at the submarket level and is shared across the Lee County, Florida area, which includes Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Bokeelia, Captiva and Bonita Springs. Every performance number below describes the Lee County STR market rather than Fort Myers alone. In September 2026 the average daily rate was $226 and occupancy was 38.2%, producing average monthly revenue of $2,411 per listing. Compared with September 2025, occupancy is up 8.4%, ADR is up 7.5% and revenue is up 8.1%. September is the seasonal low point for the area, so the latest month understates the full year. Year to date in 2026, occupancy is averaging 56.9% with an ADR of $279 and monthly revenue of $4,276 across nine months of data. For context, 2025 closed at 56.1% occupancy, a $260 ADR and $3,888 in monthly revenue, and the 2022 peak year reached 67.6% occupancy and $3,945 in monthly revenue. Demand rests on Lee County tourism, which reported roughly 3.32 million visitors in 2025 and more than $3.3 billion in direct spending, a recovery from Hurricane Ian. Visitors are largely domestic leisure travelers and seasonal winter residents drawn by Gulf beaches, shelling, boating, fishing and spring training baseball. Fort Myers is the Lee County seat with a population of 99,929, and it draws visitors through the historic River District and the Edison and Ford Winter Estates. Bedroom, channel and listing-type counts are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Fort Myers, so this profile omits them.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 67% |
| Feb | 82% |
| Mar | 80% |
| Apr | 53% |
| May | 50% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 61% |
| Aug | 43% |
| Sep | 40% |
| Oct | 52% |
| Nov | 59% |
| Dec | 61% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Fort Myers are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Cape Coral/Fort Myers market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Cape Coral/Fort Myers market as a whole, which includes Fort Myers, so these counts are not Fort Myers-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Fort Myers 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 | 22.2% |
| vrbo | 16.9% |
| both | 60.9% |
Home Value Trends (Fort Myers)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Fort Myers 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 Fort Myers — 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
This section covers the City of Fort Myers on the Lee County mainland, not the neighboring Town of Fort Myers Beach, which is a separate municipality with its own stricter registration program. Short-term rentals are permitted in the city. Florida state preemption under F.S. 509.032(7)(b) bars local governments from prohibiting STRs or regulating their duration or frequency unless an ordinance predated June 1, 2011, so Fort Myers has no maximum-nights cap, no owner-occupancy requirement and no primary-residence rule. A permit is required: operators need a City Business Tax Receipt plus a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental license, which is required for any unit rented more than three times a year for periods under 30 days. Renewal is annual. A permit cost is not published in the data. Lodging taxes apply: the Lee County Tourist Development Tax is 5%, on top of 6% Florida sales tax and a 0.5% county surtax, for roughly 11.5% in total. Airbnb and Vrbo typically collect and remit the 5% tax automatically, while hosts using property-management software must register, collect and remit it themselves. Zoning generally allows STRs in residential districts, with the city applying business-tax, occupancy, parking and life-safety rules rather than a dedicated STR overlay. Enforcement is rated moderate, and the city is considered relatively friendly to STRs. In June 2024, Governor DeSantis vetoed SB 280 and HB 1537, so the existing 2011 preemption framework still governs. Confirm current rules with the city before you buy.
Market Comparison
The Lee County STR market in September 2026 looks mixed. Occupancy of 38.2% reflects September being the seasonal trough. The ADR is $226, and professionally managed listings at $278 and luxury listings at $441 sit well above it. Looking at the full year changes the picture: year to date in 2026, occupancy is 56.9% with an ADR of $279. The peak months of February and March reach 82.4% and 79.8% occupancy. The takeaway is that Lee County is a high-rate, seasonal market where annual performance depends on winter demand. Bedroom, channel, listing-type and top-operator data are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Fort Myers, so this profile omits them. Investors comparing markets should weigh the strong rate growth of 7.5% year over year and revenue growth of 8.1% against the deep off-season dip.
Frequently Asked Questions About Fort Myers, Florida
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