Sarasota, Florida Short-Term Rental Market
Sarasota, FL short-term rentals averaged $396/night at 62.5% occupancy in April 2026, with revenue up 7.0% year over year.
Quick Answer: Sarasota, Florida is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 63%. average monthly revenue is $6,561. average daily rate is $396. the top operator is AMI Locals with 517 listings. market score is 65/100 (grade C).
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Sarasota’s short-term rental market recorded an average daily rate of $396 and occupancy of 62.5% in April 2026, producing RevPAR of $247. Revenue per listing rose 7.0% year over year, while ADR gained 6.6%, signaling that rate growth is the primary revenue driver even as occupancy pulled back 4.8 percentage points from the prior year.
The market draws from a base of roughly 22,000 active listing-months across channels. Entire-place rentals dominate at 21,299 listings (96.5% of the market), with private rooms adding 763 and shared rooms a negligible 7. Bedroom mix skews toward two-bedroom properties (8,989 listings), followed by three-bedroom (5,798), one-bedroom (4,194), four-bedroom (2,115), and five-bedroom (959). That two-and-three bedroom core aligns with Sarasota’s strong draw from beach visitors and arts travelers who want full property access.
Channel distribution shows 13,503 listings appearing on both Airbnb and VRBO, 5,179 Airbnb-only, and 3,387 VRBO-only, indicating meaningful multi-channel inventory saturation. The market’s overall score of 64.5 out of 100 reflects a balanced but not frictionless environment: investability scores 74.5, revenue growth 80.4, and rental demand 70.0, offset by a regulation score of 59.1 and moderate seasonality score of 61.5.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | $230 | $3,751 |
| Feb | 84% | $259 | $4,626 |
| Mar | 84% | $307 | $6,080 |
| Apr | 61% | $289 | $4,533 |
| May | 60% | $266 | $4,134 |
| Jun | 69% | $288 | $5,008 |
| Jul | 68% | $271 | $4,921 |
| Aug | 50% | $250 | $3,649 |
| Sep | 43% | $220 | $2,646 |
| Oct | 55% | $231 | $3,069 |
| Nov | 55% | $219 | $2,867 |
| Dec | 59% | $247 | $3,355 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Sarasota
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AMI Locals | 517 | 14,805 | ★ 4.71 |
| 2 | SKLRP And LKV | 424 | 4,618 | ★ 4.71 |
| 3 | Evolve | 342 | 10,676 | ★ 4.71 |
| 4 | Vacasa | 298 | 10,778 | ★ 4.50 |
| 5 | RVA Resort Vacations | 212 | 7,775 | ★ 4.50 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Sarasota?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 4,194 |
| 2 bed | 8,989 |
| 3 bed | 5,798 |
| 4 bed | 2,115 |
| 5 bed | 959 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $402 |
| Luxury | $743 |
| Professionally Managed | $551 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $5,085 |
| Entire Place | $6,662 |
| House | $7,510 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 23.5% |
| vrbo | 15.3% |
| both | 61.2% |
Investment Analysis
At the April 2026 data point, a typical Sarasota STR earned $6,561 per month. Annualized, that projects to approximately $78,735 per year. Against a typical home value of $413,424 (Zillow, April 2026), the implied gross yield is approximately 19.0%. Note that this gross figure does not account for management fees, maintenance, taxes, or financing costs, which typically reduce net cash flow substantially.
Tier performance shows meaningful spread. Entire-place listings averaged $6,662 per month, houses averaged $7,510, and apartments averaged $5,085. Professionally managed properties commanded an ADR of $551, compared to the all-listings average of $396, a premium of roughly 39%. Luxury-tier properties averaged $743 per night.
ADR has grown from $186 in 2017 to $318 in 2025, a compound annual growth rate of approximately 6.9% over eight years. Revenue per listing climbed from $2,163 in 2017 to $5,194 in 2025. The housing market shows 2,875 active for-sale listings with a median sale price of $413,167, a median list price of $490,000, and a sale-to-list ratio of 0.843, suggesting buyers are negotiating below ask. Median days to pending stands at 48, indicating a market that is not fast-moving. Buyers may find room to negotiate entry prices, which would improve yield calculations.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
The average booking lead time in Sarasota is 73 days. That window gives operators a useful advance-demand signal: bookings arriving 73 days out are on pace; a surge in that window signals the ability to hold or raise rates. Operators who drop rates before the 73-day window close off revenue unnecessarily.
Average length of stay is 5.4 nights, which is consistent with the 7-night minimum required in the City of Sarasota. This suggests the majority of bookings are at or just above the regulatory floor. Turnover planning should account for approximately 5 to 6 night blocks with cleaning windows concentrated on weekly intervals. For operators outside the city minimum (for example, barrier island or county-exempt properties), offering 3 to 4 night stays to fill gaps around 7-night bookings can improve overall occupancy without materially changing average stay.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Sarasota operates under a layered STR regulatory framework combining state, county, and city requirements. All three apply independently and must all be satisfied.
At the state level, Florida DBPR requires a Vacation Rental Dwelling license for any property rented to transients more than three times per year for stays under 30 days. The annual fee is approximately $170 per unit.
At the city level, Ordinance 24-5506 (effective February 5, 2024) extended a Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration requirement to all non-owner-occupied single-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings in RSF and RMF zones. Ordinance 25-5560 (adopted July 21, 2025) amended the framework, adding evacuation route posting requirements, formalizing owner-occupancy proof standards via Homestead Exemption documentation, making all fees nonrefundable, and expanding the advertising definition to include online media. The initial registration fee is $500 (includes safety inspection) with annual renewal at $350. Operators must maintain a 24/7 responsible party who can arrive on-site within one hour. The minimum rental period is 7 full days and 7 full nights. Occupancy is capped at 2 persons per bedroom plus 2, not to exceed 10 in RSF zones and 12 in RMF zones.
In unincorporated Sarasota County, most residential zones carry a 30-day minimum stay requirement, which effectively bars sub-30-day rentals except on barrier islands (Siesta Key, Casey Key, Manasota Key) where multi-family properties are excepted. Condominium, cooperative, and timeshare properties are exempt from city registration. The occupancy tax rate is 6%. Enforcement is classified as strict. SB 280, which would have limited local STR regulation statewide, was vetoed June 27, 2024, leaving local authority intact.
Market Comparison
Against U.S. STR medians of approximately 55% occupancy and $220 ADR, Sarasota’s April 2026 metrics of 62.5% occupancy and $396 ADR place it meaningfully above both benchmarks. The ADR premium of approximately $176 over the national median reflects Gulf Coast beachfront positioning and the higher-income tourist draw that Sarasota’s arts and culture profile supports.
The top five property managers by listing count illustrate the competitive management landscape. AMI Locals leads with 517 listings and 14,805 reviews at a 4.71 average rating. SKLRP And LKV holds 424 listings (4,618 reviews, 4.71 rating). Evolve manages 342 listings with 10,676 reviews at 4.71. Vacasa operates 298 listings (10,778 reviews, 4.50 rating). RVA Resort Vacations rounds out the top five at 212 listings and 7,775 reviews (4.50 rating).
The top five managers collectively account for 1,793 listings. Against an estimated 22,000 active listing-months in the market, that represents roughly 8% concentration in the top five operators, indicating a fragmented market where independent operators hold the majority of inventory. The investability score of 74.5 out of 100 and revenue growth score of 80.4 suggest room for well-managed new entrants.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sarasota, Florida
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