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 in the Gainesville market area is 51%. average monthly revenue in the Gainesville market area is $2,224. average daily rate in the Gainesville market area is $145. the top operator in the Gainesville market area is McNiece Management with 53 listings. market score is 75/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the wider Gainesville market, which covers 4 areas. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Gainesville.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan | 56% |
| Feb | 64% |
| Mar | 62% |
| Apr | 56% |
| May | 51% |
| Jun | 60% |
| Jul | 64% |
| Aug | 67% |
| Sep | 53% |
| Oct | 53% |
| Nov | 52% |
| Dec | 51% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Gainesville are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Gainesville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Gainesville market as a whole, which includes Gainesville, so these counts are not Gainesville-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Gainesville 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 | 53.7% |
| vrbo | 8.1% |
| both | 38.2% |
Home Value Trends (Gainesville)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Gainesville 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 Gainesville — 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
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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