Inverness, Florida

Short-term rentals are legal in Inverness and Citrus County, and regulation comes mostly from Florida state law. A property rented for periods under 30 days more than three times a year is a vacation rental under Florida Statute 509.241. It needs a state DBPR Vacation Rental Dwelling license (one dwelling or up to four units) or a Condo license, renewed annually. Operators must also hold a Citrus County tourist development tax account. The county tax is 5%, and with the 6% Florida sales and transient rental tax the total lodging tax is roughly 11%. A City of Inverness business tax receipt may also apply, so confirm with the city. Florida Statute 509.032(7)(b) preempts local governments from banning short-term rentals or regulating their duration or frequency unless an ordinance predated June 1, 2011. As a result there is no maximum nights limit, no owner-occupancy requirement and no primary residence requirement. Inverness has no known STR-specific prohibition, but generally applicable zoning, parking, noise, nuisance and building codes still apply, so verify district allowances in the City’s Land Development Code before purchase. Enforcement is rated moderate. Citrus County adopted GovOS short-term-rental tracking software to identify listings and capture unpaid tourist tax, which signals active tax compliance checks. Regulatory friction is relatively light compared with Florida’s coastal beach jurisdictions. The permit fee is not published in the available data.