Gulf Breeze, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Gulf Breeze STRs averaged $300/night at 61.8% occupancy in April 2026, with investability scoring 93.6 out of 100.
Quick Answer: Gulf Breeze, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 83%. average monthly revenue is $9,568. average daily rate is $427. the top operator is Vacasa with 474 listings. market score is 82/100 (grade B).
Market data reflects the Pensacola regional market, which includes Gulf Breeze. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Gulf Breeze.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Gulf Breeze, Florida occupies a narrow peninsula between Pensacola Bay and Santa Rosa Sound, positioning it as a gateway to Gulf Islands National Seashore and Pensacola Beach. The short-term rental market here is dominated by entire-place listings, which account for 9,302 of the 9,630 active listings, or roughly 97% of supply. Private rooms add 323 listings, with shared rooms representing a negligible five units.
Bedroom mix trends toward mid-size properties: three-bedroom units lead with 3,144 listings, followed closely by two-bedroom at 3,086. One-bedroom units total 1,792, while four-bedroom properties number 1,142 and five-bedroom-plus at 458. Channel distribution shows significant multi-platform presence, with 6,057 listings active on both Airbnb and VRBO simultaneously, compared to 2,279 Airbnb-only and 1,294 VRBO-only.
As of April 2026, the market posted a 61.8% average occupancy rate, an average daily rate of $299.75, and average monthly revenue of $4,941 per active listing. RevPAR reached $185.36. Year-over-year, occupancy improved 5.7 percentage points, ADR edged up 0.4%, and revenue grew 4.0%. The market’s total score of 81.9 out of 100 reflects strong investability (93.6) and rental demand (85.9), though seasonality scores a moderate 44.5, signaling notable demand swings across the calendar year.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40% | $171 | $1,872 |
| Feb | 62% | $186 | $2,453 |
| Mar | 70% | $250 | $4,093 |
| Apr | 58% | $261 | $4,076 |
| May | 69% | $294 | $5,136 |
| Jun | 81% | $344 | $7,238 |
| Jul | 80% | $325 | $6,804 |
| Aug | 56% | $267 | $4,213 |
| Sep | 54% | $237 | $3,422 |
| Oct | 56% | $222 | $3,215 |
| Nov | 43% | $196 | $2,160 |
| Dec | 38% | $190 | $1,942 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Gulf Breeze
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vacasa | 474 | 22,239 | ★ 4.51 |
| 2 | Premier Island Management Group | 434 | 7,989 | ★ 4.75 |
| 3 | Southern Vacation Rentals by Vtrips | 371 | 10,594 | ★ 4.52 |
| 4 | Luxury Coatal Vacation Rentlas | 355 | 10,788 | ★ 4.78 |
| 5 | Paradise Beach Homes | 264 | 12,547 | ★ 4.77 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Gulf Breeze?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 1,792 |
| 2 bed | 3,086 |
| 3 bed | 3,144 |
| 4 bed | 1,142 |
| 5 bed | 458 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $433 |
| Luxury | $672 |
| Professionally Managed | $530 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $10,153 |
| Entire Place | $9,753 |
| House | $9,088 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 23.7% |
| vrbo | 13.4% |
| both | 62.9% |
Investment Analysis
Gulf Breeze presents a compelling STR investment profile anchored by a typical home value of $472,189 (April 2026 Zillow estimate) against average monthly revenue of $4,941. At that pace, the annualized gross revenue runs approximately $59,286, implying a gross yield near 12.6% before operating expenses, management fees, and debt service. That figure assumes year-round activity at the April 2026 rate, which sits slightly below the June peak.
Tier separation is meaningful here. The overall ADR of $299.75 compares to $305.11 for entire-home listings and $464.94 for luxury-tier properties. Professionally managed listings averaged $366.01 per night, a 22% premium over the market average, suggesting that operators with quality product and active pricing strategies capture materially better rates.
Year-over-year revenue growth of 4.0% in April 2026 follows a longer trend: 2024 annual average revenue of $4,441 improved to $4,749 in 2025, a gain of roughly 7%. The 2021 post-pandemic peak of $4,270 annual average has been surpassed, with 2025 setting the highest full-year revenue on record in this dataset. The market’s investability score of 93.6 and revenue growth score of 84.3 support the underlying demand picture. Median sale price of $480,833 and median list price of $602,417 indicate the resale market is active, with properties moving to pending in a median 29 days.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Gulf Breeze STR guests book an average of 50.6 days in advance as of April 2026. This nearly seven-week lead time gives operators a meaningful pricing window to adjust rates before arrival, rather than relying on last-minute discount tactics. For peak summer weeks in June and July, demand pressure likely extends that lead time further, making early rate-setting critical for capturing peak revenue.
Average length of stay is 4.47 nights. This slightly-longer-than-weekend stay pattern is consistent with beach vacation behavior, where travelers often book from Saturday to Wednesday or Thursday to Sunday. At 4.47 nights per booking, a property can typically accommodate five to six bookings per month during peak season. Minimum-stay policies of four to five nights during summer peaks would align well with observed guest behavior and reduce turnover costs while maintaining occupancy.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Gulf Breeze enacted its first formal STR registration program through Ordinance No. 05-2024, adopted November 18, 2024 (Code Chapter 6, Article VI, Sections 6-200 to 6-204). Before this ordinance, the city had no registration system.
Operators must obtain a Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) Registration Certificate before renting. The annual registration fee is $40. Required documents include the property deed from the Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser, a government-issued ID, proof of a Santa Rosa County Business Tax Receipt, and a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling License. If the owner operates under a business entity, Articles of Incorporation or Fictitious Name registration via Sunbiz is also required.
The Fire Department and Community Services conduct an inspection to verify compliance with minimum fire and life-safety standards. Registered owners must remain reachable by phone 24 hours a day for emergencies. There is no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement, and no cap on the number of rental nights per year.
STRs are permitted only in zoning districts identified on the city’s interactive STR Zoning Map; certain residential areas may be restricted. Guests owe a 5% Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Tax, collected and remitted monthly to the Santa Rosa County Clerk of Court, in addition to Florida state sales tax. Florida state law (Chapter 509) preempts cities from banning vacation rentals outright. Enforcement is described as moderate, with the ordinance framed around communication and neighbor safety rather than punitive restriction.
Market Comparison
Gulf Breeze’s April 2026 occupancy of 61.8% exceeds the U.S. STR median of approximately 55%, and its $299.75 ADR sits meaningfully above the national median of roughly $220. The revenue growth score of 84.3 and investability score of 93.6 place this market in the upper tier of coastal Florida STR destinations by those measures.
The operator landscape is concentrated among a handful of regional and national managers. Vacasa leads with 474 listings and 22,239 reviews (4.51 average rating). Premier Island Management Group holds 434 listings with 7,989 reviews and a 4.75 rating. Southern Vacation Rentals by Vtrips operates 371 listings with 10,594 reviews at a 4.52 rating. Luxury Coastal Vacation Rentals manages 355 listings with 10,788 reviews and a 4.78 rating, while Paradise Beach Homes rounds out the top five at 264 listings and 12,547 reviews with a 4.77 rating. The top three operators together manage 1,279 listings, approximately 13% of the 9,630 total active supply, indicating a relatively fragmented market where independent operators remain a meaningful presence.
Frequently Asked Questions About Gulf Breeze, Florida
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