Ruskin, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Ruskin, FL only allows nightly STRs on commercially zoned parcels; area rates ran $167/night at 58.4% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Ruskin, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 58%. average monthly revenue is $2,645. average daily rate is $167. the top operator is Evolve with 141 listings. market score is 56/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Tampa regional market, which includes Ruskin. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Ruskin.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
In Ruskin, an unincorporated part of Hillsborough County, Florida, the single most consequential rule for any short-term rental buyer is zoning, not licensing: Hillsborough County’s Land Development Code treats any rental of seven consecutive days or less as a short-term (transient) rental, and these nightly rentals are only permitted on parcels in commercial, lodging, or mixed-use zoning districts. Standard residential zones cannot legally host nightly STRs regardless of licensing, though rentals of seven or more nights are generally allowed there. Confirming a target parcel’s zoning before purchasing is essential in this market and changes the calculus entirely compared to markets where any residential property qualifies.
Ruskin sits on Tampa Bay’s South Shore and has no dedicated tourism board or visitor-count data of its own; visitation is folded into broader Tampa Bay and Hillsborough County figures. Visitors are largely regional, drive-market outdoor-recreation travelers drawn to the Little Manatee River, Tampa Bay waterfront, camping, kayaking, fishing, and manatee viewing, plus snowbirds and residents connected to the large nearby Sun City Center retirement community. Ruskin is more residential, agricultural (it’s known regionally for tomatoes), and retirement-oriented than a destination resort town, and STR demand here is modest compared with coastal or Orlando markets.
Because Apivex’s short-term rental performance data for this submarket is shared across the Tampa Bay cluster (Ruskin, Apollo Beach, Lutz, Plant City, and Tampa), this profile frames occupancy, rate, and revenue figures as describing the Ruskin area (Tampa Bay area) STR market rather than claiming Ruskin-only precision.
In June 2026, that area STR market averaged 58.38% occupancy and a $166.52 average daily rate, with average monthly revenue of $2,645.36 per active listing. Year over year, occupancy and ADR held essentially flat, but revenue fell 7.44%, a notable decline worth flagging directly.
Listing count, bedroom mix, and channel split data for this area are tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Ruskin, so this profile omits those specific breakdowns.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | $137 | $2,469 |
| Feb | 75% | $152 | $2,839 |
| Mar | 76% | $161 | $3,405 |
| Apr | 61% | $149 | $2,537 |
| May | 59% | $139 | $2,286 |
| Jun | 62% | $140 | $2,338 |
| Jul | 64% | $136 | $2,429 |
| Aug | 59% | $122 | $2,047 |
| Sep | 56% | $115 | $1,716 |
| Oct | 61% | $122 | $2,010 |
| Nov | 61% | $125 | $2,051 |
| Dec | 65% | $136 | $2,386 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Ruskin
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evolve | 141 | 4,612 | ★ 4.54 |
| 2 | Sailport Waterfront Suites | 90 | 239 | ★ 4.28 |
| 3 | Emperor Rentals | 68 | 5,087 | ★ 4.83 |
| 4 | One Stone Property Group | 67 | 4,521 | ★ 4.61 |
| 5 | Bojano Stays | 61 | 121 | ★ 4.05 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Ruskin?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 5,411 |
| 2 bed | 2,071 |
| 3 bed | 2,251 |
| 4 bed | 1,114 |
| 5 bed | 434 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $177 |
| Luxury | $299 |
| Professionally Managed | $208 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $1,961 |
| Entire Place | $2,833 |
| House | $3,046 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 54.2% |
| vrbo | 5.3% |
| both | 40.5% |
Investment Analysis
Because eligible-zoning parcels are the binding constraint in Ruskin, the standard property-type revenue comparison matters less here than confirming a parcel qualifies at all. Where nightly rentals are legally possible, houses led June 2026 monthly revenue at $3,045.67, ahead of entire-place listings at $2,833.00 and apartment-style units at $1,961.21, a roughly 55% gap between houses and apartments.
Annualizing the area’s average June 2026 revenue works out to roughly $31,744 a year. Against Zillow’s typical home value of $313,553.73 for the area, that implies a gross yield near 10.1%. This is a screening estimate for an average listing’s pace, not an achievable return for a specific property, and it assumes the property sits on eligible commercial, lodging, or mixed-use zoning, since a standard residential parcel cannot legally be operated as a nightly rental here at all.
On licensing cost, once zoning is confirmed, the path is comparatively affordable: a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental license under FS 509.241 (commonly cited in the roughly $150 to $350 range depending on unit count), a Hillsborough County Business Tax Receipt, and a county Tourist Development Tax account. The 6% county Tourist Development Tax is on top of roughly 7.5% combined Florida state and local sales tax. There is no county-imposed cap on nights per year or owner-occupancy requirement for eligible parcels.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Booking lead time in the Ruskin area averages 27.58 days, under four weeks out, one of the shortest lead times in this pipeline, and average length of stay is 4.66 nights.
This short lead time fits a market drawing regional day-trip-adjacent and drive-market visitors rather than travelers planning a long-haul vacation months in advance, consistent with Ruskin’s role as a quieter, outdoor-recreation-oriented South Shore community rather than a headline Tampa Bay destination. For operators, this supports dynamic, closer-in pricing, and the moderate stay length suggests a mix of weekend and multi-day visits rather than either quick overnight stays or extended vacations.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Ruskin is an unincorporated part of Hillsborough County, so short-term rentals are governed by county and state rules rather than a city ordinance. The single most consequential local constraint is zoning: the county’s Land Development Code treats any rental of seven consecutive days or less as a short-term (transient) rental, and these nightly rentals are only permitted on parcels in commercial, lodging, or mixed-use zoning districts. Standard residential zones cannot legally host nightly STRs regardless of licensing, though rentals of seven-plus nights are generally allowed there.
To operate a compliant nightly rental, an owner needs a parcel in an eligible zone plus a Florida DBPR Vacation Rental license under FS 509.241 (annual renewal; single or group license costs commonly cited in the roughly $150 to $350 range depending on unit count and term), a Hillsborough County Business Tax Receipt (a separate City of Tampa Business Tax Receipt would only apply inside Tampa city limits, which Ruskin is not), and a Hillsborough County Tourist Development Tax account.
The county levies a 6% Tourist Development (bed) tax on stays of six months or less, filed monthly and delinquent after the 20th, on top of roughly 7.5% combined Florida state and local sales tax, which Airbnb and VRBO often collect automatically. There is no county-imposed cap on nights per year or owner-occupancy requirement. Florida’s statewide preemption framework (FS 509.032) continues to limit local bans and duration or frequency restrictions, but it does not preempt the underlying zoning restriction limiting nightly rentals to commercial, lodging, or mixed-use parcels. Investors should re-verify current DBPR license fees and, critically, confirm a target parcel’s zoning permits nightly rentals before purchasing.
Market Comparison
Ruskin’s 58.38% occupancy in June 2026 runs above the roughly 55% occupancy typical of the broader U.S. short-term rental market, though its $166.52 ADR sits well below the national median of roughly $220, meaning this market fills at an above-average rate but at a notably modest nightly price, one of the lower ADRs seen in this pipeline.
Property manager data for this area is tracked at a shared regional level rather than uniquely for Ruskin, so this profile omits naming specific operators here.
The defining factor separating Ruskin from most other markets in this pipeline is its zoning gate: eligibility for nightly STR use is restricted to commercial, lodging, or mixed-use parcels, meaning most standard residential real estate in Ruskin cannot legally operate as a nightly rental at all, a structural constraint an investor needs to clear before any performance number here is relevant to their purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ruskin, Florida
Can I operate a nightly short-term rental on a residential property in Ruskin, FL?
What license do I need to operate a short-term rental in Ruskin, FL?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Ruskin, FL?
What is the average nightly rate for a short-term rental in Ruskin, FL?
What is the strongest month for short-term rentals in Ruskin, FL?
Why did revenue fall in the Ruskin, FL area?
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