Gainesville, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Gainesville, FL STRs averaged $160/night at 56.4% occupancy in April 2026, driven by University of Florida event demand.
Quick Answer: Gainesville, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 56%. average monthly revenue is $2,356. average daily rate is $160. the top operator is McNiece Management with 53 listings. market score is 75/100 (grade B).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Gainesville is a university city anchored by the University of Florida, with approximately 148,716 residents and roughly 1.4 million paid-accommodation visitors per year generating an estimated $766 million in economic impact for Alachua County. STR demand is event-driven, structured around UF football Saturdays (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium seats approximately 88,500), graduation weekends in May and December, and August orientation weeks. The market carries 2,121 active listings: 1,776 entire-place units (84% of supply), 343 private rooms, and 2 shared-room listings.
In April 2026, the market posted a $160 average daily rate and 56.4% occupancy, generating $90.15 in RevPAR. Average monthly revenue per active listing was $2,356. Year-over-year trends show occupancy up 3.0% while ADR slipped 0.4%, leaving net revenue down 1.4%. By platform, Airbnb accounts for 1,140 listings and VRBO for 171, with 810 appearing on both. Bedroom distribution skews toward 1-bedrooms (821 listings) and 2-bedrooms (601), consistent with the student and visitor travel mix. The market’s seasonality score of 93.8 out of 100 reflects the highly event-concentrated demand pattern.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56% | $106 | $1,697 |
| Feb | 64% | $117 | $1,848 |
| Mar | 62% | $127 | $2,186 |
| Apr | 56% | $126 | $1,923 |
| May | 52% | $127 | $1,763 |
| Jun | 61% | $117 | $1,895 |
| Jul | 64% | $109 | $1,876 |
| Aug | 67% | $122 | $2,211 |
| Sep | 53% | $143 | $1,980 |
| Oct | 53% | $151 | $2,191 |
| Nov | 52% | $145 | $2,052 |
| Dec | 51% | $119 | $1,799 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Gainesville
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McNiece Management | 53 | 2,777 | ★ 4.75 |
| 2 | StayGainesville | 46 | 1,185 | ★ 4.77 |
| 3 | Landing | 42 | 16 | ★ 4.38 |
| 4 | Bones Vacances | 36 | 0 | ★ 0.00 |
| 5 | Evolve | 34 | 1,025 | ★ 4.62 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Gainesville?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 821 |
| 2 bed | 601 |
| 3 bed | 440 |
| 4 bed | 208 |
| 5 bed | 48 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $179 |
| Luxury | $272 |
| Professionally Managed | $187 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,906 |
| Entire Place | $2,612 |
| House | $2,642 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 53.7% |
| vrbo | 8.1% |
| both | 38.2% |
Investment Analysis
Gainesville’s STR yield profile is attractive relative to its price point. At the all-listings April 2026 average of $2,356/month, annualized gross revenue approaches $28,267. Against a typical home value of $299,633, that implies a gross yield near 9.4%, which is meaningfully above the national STR average. Houses average $2,642/month and entire-place units $2,612/month, with apartments at $1,906/month.
ADR segmentation shows differentiation by tier: the professionally managed segment averaged $187/night versus $160 for the broad market, a 17% premium. The luxury tier averaged $272/night, nearly double the all-listings figure. Entire-home ADR at $179 runs above the market average, reflecting the quality premium for standalone properties.
The trade-off at this yield level is occupancy volatility. Revenue peaked in the market at $2,369/month (2022 annual average), declined to $2,181 in 2023, recovered to $2,339 in 2024, and reached $2,396 in 2025. This modest recovery trend is encouraging, but the revenue-growth market score of 40.8 (out of 100) signals that growth momentum has been subdued. The investment case rests on yield, not appreciation of the STR income stream.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Gainesville STR guests book an average of 48.8 days in advance with an average length of stay of 3.41 nights. The nearly 7-week lead time reflects event-driven travel planning: UF football game-goers, graduation attendees, and move-in visitors book well ahead of known events. For operators, this advance window supports dynamic pricing adjustments 6-8 weeks out, particularly for game weekends when demand is highly inelastic.
The 3.4-night average stay is longer than a typical weekend visit, suggesting guests frequently arrive before or extend beyond the primary event. For operators, this reinforces a 3-night minimum stay strategy for peak event windows to capture the full average stay value. Off-peak periods (May, December) may benefit from shorter minimums to attract mid-week bookings from visiting prospective students and their companions.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Gainesville operates under a streamlined two-layer framework. Effective October 1, 2021, the City of Gainesville eliminated its local STR permit requirement for rentals under 30 days. No city registration, inspection, or fee applies. Alachua County imposes no additional zoning restrictions on STRs within city limits. Neither the city nor the county requires owner occupancy or primary-residence status.
At the state level, all Florida vacation rental operators must hold a DBPR Vacation Rental License (either Vacation Rental Dwelling or Vacation Rental Condo category) for properties rented more than three times per calendar year for stays under 30 days. First-year licensing costs approximately $220 (roughly $170 license fee plus $50 new-application fee). Licenses renew annually.
On taxes, Alachua County levies a 5% Tourist Development Tax on rentals of six months or less, in addition to Florida’s 6% state sales tax and Alachua County’s 1.5% local discretionary surtax, for a combined approximately 12.5% tax burden on gross rental receipts. As of January 1, 2025, Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit the Tourist Development Tax directly; operators using other booking channels must register with the Tax Collector and file monthly returns.
Market Comparison
Against U.S. STR benchmarks (approximately 55% median occupancy, approximately $220 median ADR), Gainesville runs above median occupancy at 56.4% but below median ADR at $160. This is characteristic of a university market where high utilization is driven by event demand rather than premium leisure travelers willing to pay resort-level rates. RevPAR of $90.15 reflects the ADR discount.
The market’s total score of 75.2 and rental demand score of 82.8 are both above average, confirming strong utilization despite the lower ADR. The seasonality score of 93.8 is among the highest possible, signaling concentrated demand windows rather than year-round consistency.
On the operator side, the market is fragmented with local specialists leading. McNiece Management holds the top position with 53 listings and a 4.75 average rating (2,777 reviews). StayGainesville, a local-focused operator, has 46 listings at a 4.77 rating (1,185 reviews). Evolve rounds out the top tier with 34 listings and a 4.62 rating (1,025 reviews). The three largest operators combined hold fewer than 135 listings, less than 7% of the market, indicating a highly independent-operator market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gainesville, Florida
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