Melbourne, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Melbourne FL STRs averaged $239/night at 60.2% occupancy in April 2026, with a 4.9-night average stay on Florida's Space Coast.
Quick Answer: Melbourne, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is 67%. average monthly revenue in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is $4,433. average daily rate in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is $246. the top operator in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is Happy Palm Stays with 408 listings. market score is 62/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Melbourne/Titusville regional market, which includes Melbourne. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Melbourne.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Melbourne is a city of approximately 86,576 residents in Brevard County on Florida’s Space Coast, situated along the Indian River Lagoon about one hour from Orlando and 30 minutes from Kennedy Space Center. STR demand is driven by 72 miles of Atlantic beaches, rocket launch viewing, watersports on the lagoon, Brevard Zoo, and the aerospace and defense industry (L3Harris, Northrop Grumman) that brings both leisure and business travelers.
In April 2026, listings averaged $239/night with occupancy of 60.2%, generating average monthly revenue of $3,956. RevPAR was $144. Year-over-year, April occupancy declined 3.5 percentage points, ADR edged up 0.5%, and revenue fell 4.0%. Melbourne’s seasonal pattern differs from typical Florida beach markets: the historical peak occupancy month is March (81.3% average over the data series), driven by winter visitors and spring break.
Entire-place properties dominate the supply mix (5,976 in the regional dataset). The bedroom distribution is widest in the 2-bedroom (2,328) and 1-bedroom (1,718) sizes. Airbnb is the primary channel, with VRBO as a secondary platform. The market’s rental demand score is 88.96 out of 100, one of the stronger demand signals in this dataset.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 65% |
| Feb | 81% |
| Mar | 81% |
| Apr | 63% |
| May | 61% |
| Jun | 71% |
| Jul | 72% |
| Aug | 56% |
| Sep | 49% |
| Oct | 56% |
| Nov | 57% |
| Dec | 59% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Melbourne are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Melbourne/Titusville market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Melbourne/Titusville market as a whole, which includes Melbourne, so these counts are not Melbourne-only figures.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Happy Palm Stays | 408 | 13,709 | ★ 4.82 |
| 2 | Beachside Vacation Rentals | 284 | 8,885 | ★ 4.70 |
| 3 | Evolve | 111 | 5,255 | ★ 4.69 |
| 4 | Beachside VR | 65 | 1,862 | ★ 4.49 |
| 5 | Vacasa | 63 | 1,562 | ★ 4.32 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Melbourne?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Melbourne 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 | 34.6% |
| vrbo | 11.1% |
| both | 54.3% |
Home Value Trends (Melbourne)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Melbourne 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 Melbourne — 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
The City of Melbourne currently has no dedicated short-term rental ordinance. STRs are neither explicitly allowed nor prohibited by city code. The city does not impose an STR-specific permit, registration, owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence requirement, or annual night cap. A general City of Melbourne Business Tax Receipt may apply to a rental business.
Florida requires operators of whole-unit transient rentals to hold a state DBPR (Department of Business and Professional Regulation) vacation rental license. Florida sales tax of 6% applies to short-term rentals. Brevard County’s 5% Tourist Development Tax applies to stays of six months or less; as of October 1, 2025, the Brevard County Clerk of Court (not the Tax Collector) administers TDT collection under an ordinance adopted July 22, 2025.
Critical note: Melbourne FL (the city) is NOT the same jurisdiction as Melbourne Beach, West Melbourne, or other Brevard County municipalities. Melbourne Beach restricts vacation rentals by zoning and requires town registration (Ordinance 2024-05). West Melbourne prohibits rentals shorter than one week in all residential zoning districts. Always confirm the specific municipality of a property before assuming Melbourne’s permissive environment applies. Enforcement within the City of Melbourne is minimal.
Market Comparison
The US STR median occupancy is approximately 55% and median ADR approximately $220. Melbourne’s April 2026 occupancy of 60.2% exceeds the national median by about 5 points, and its $239 ADR exceeds the national median as well. RevPAR of $144 reflects above-median performance.
Happy Palm Stays leads the market with 408 listings and 13,709 reviews at a 4.821 average rating, one of the highest operator ratings in the dataset. Beachside Vacation Rentals follows with 284 listings and 8,885 reviews (rating 4.701). Evolve operates 111 listings with 5,255 reviews (rating 4.687). Beachside VR holds 65 listings (rating 4.486, 1,862 reviews). Vacasa has 63 listings (rating 4.324, 1,562 reviews).
Melbourne’s rental demand score of 88.96 indicates strong underlying demand relative to supply, even as year-over-year revenue declined 4.0% in April. The revenue growth score of 48.29 reflects a market that has plateaued since the 2020-2022 peak: 2024 annual average revenue ($3,702) and 2025 ($3,707) were nearly flat. The long-run occupancy trend, however, shows improvement from 53.4% in 2017 to 62.3% in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions About Melbourne, Florida
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