Merritt Island, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Merritt Island's 90-day residential minimum limits STRs; Space Coast September 2026 ADR $183, 50.5% occupancy, $2,638 monthly revenue.
Quick Answer: Merritt Island, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is 50%. average monthly revenue in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is $2,638. average daily rate in the Melbourne/Titusville market area is $183. 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 Merritt Island. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Merritt Island.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Merritt Island is an unincorporated community in Brevard County with a population of 34,992, and a zoning gate shapes any STR plan here: most residential zones carry a 90-day minimum rental duration, so nightly rentals are generally limited to Resort Dwelling zones, commercial or mixed-use zones, or properties with an approved conditional use. Performance figures on this page describe the Space Coast STR market, a regional series rather than a Merritt Island-only series. In September 2026, the Space Coast STR market posted an average daily rate of $183, occupancy of 50.5%, and average monthly revenue of $2,638 per listing. Compared with a year earlier, occupancy rose 9.8%, ADR rose 5.1%, and revenue rose 10.8%. Entire-place rentals averaged an ADR of $193 in the month. Demand draws on the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge with its 310 plus bird species, nearby Cocoa Beach, and cruise passengers transiting Port Canaveral. Brevard County recorded nearly 3 million overnight room nights in 2023 across hotels, motels, and vacation rentals, along with $2.95 billion in visitor spending. About 37% of visitors come from within Florida, 17% from the Southeast, 17% from the Midwest, 12% from the Northeast, 12% from the West, and roughly 5% from abroad. Bedroom, channel, and listing-type counts and top operator data are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Merritt Island, so this profile omits them. September is the seasonal low for the region, so the September 2026 figures sit below the market’s stronger months. The 2026 average through September shows occupancy of 65.0%, an ADR of $226, and monthly revenue of $4,032, a stronger picture than the single month suggests.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy |
|---|---|
| Jan | 65% |
| Feb | 81% |
| Mar | 81% |
| Apr | 63% |
| May | 61% |
| Jun | 71% |
| Jul | 72% |
| Aug | 56% |
| Sep | 50% |
| Oct | 56% |
| Nov | 57% |
| Dec | 59% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Merritt Island 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 Merritt Island, so these counts are not Merritt Island-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 Merritt Island?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Merritt Island 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 (Merritt Island)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Merritt Island 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 Merritt Island — 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
Merritt Island is unincorporated, so short-term rentals are governed by Brevard County and Florida state law rather than a city code. Short-term rentals are permitted, but zoning is the binding constraint. Most residential zones impose a 90-day minimum rental duration, which effectively bans true short-term rentals of fewer than 90 days. Stays under 90 days are generally allowed only in designated Resort Dwelling (RD) zones, with an approved conditional use, or in commercial and mixed-use zones. A permit is required: a Business Tax Receipt through county registration plus a state DBPR vacation rental license. The Business Tax Receipt costs about $37 and renews annually. Operators must collect and remit the 5% Brevard County Tourist Development Tax plus the 6% Florida state sales tax. Effective October 1, 2025, tourist development tax collection moved from the Brevard County Tax Collector to the Brevard County Clerk of Court, with the 5% rate unchanged. There is no annual night cap, no owner-occupancy requirement, and no primary residence requirement. Enforcement severity is rated moderate. A county commissioner noted in 2023 that fewer than 20% of the more than 1,200 STRs in unincorporated Brevard were properly licensed, so the main risk is operating an unlicensed short-term rental in a residential zone. Brevard has continued tightening residential STR zoning, and local petitions and debate over the 90-day residential minimum are ongoing. Verify the parcel’s zoning with Brevard County Planning and Development before purchase.
Market Comparison
The Space Coast STR market ran at 50.5% occupancy and an ADR of $183 in September 2026, which is a seasonal low. Across the year, every month except September is above 55% occupancy, including March at 81.2% and February at 80.5%. ADR peaks at $213 in March and June, although the 2026 average through September is $226. Luxury listings at $335 and professionally managed listings at $196 show how far rates vary inside the market. Year over year, occupancy is up 9.8%, ADR is up 5.1%, and revenue is up 10.8%. The figures describe the shared Space Coast region rather than Merritt Island alone, and top operator data is omitted for the same reason. The practical takeaway is that this is a seasonal, demand-rich market with moderate rates, where occupancy is the strength and ADR growth is the opportunity, provided the property sits in a zone that allows stays under 90 days.
Frequently Asked Questions About Merritt Island, Florida
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