Rules for short-term rentals

Section 509.013 defines a transient lodging establishment as a unit rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for periods of less than 30 consecutive days, or advertised as regularly rented for less than 30 days. Section 509.242 calls a condo unit that meets that definition a vacation rental. From there, licensing, taxes and the building's rules apply.

Section 509.241 says every public lodging establishment must obtain a licence from the state division that regulates them, that the licence cannot be transferred from one place or person to another, and that operating without one is a second-degree misdemeanour. The county or city may also require their own registration and tourist taxes, which the short-term rental tax guide explains.

Section 509.032 prevents a local rule adopted after June 1, 2011 from prohibiting vacation rentals or regulating their duration or frequency. That does not reach the condominium: its declaration can limit rentals. If the association amends its rules to ban or limit rentals, section 718.110(13) says the change binds only owners who consent and those who buy afterwards. So before buying to rent, the first step is reading the declaration, not the listing.