Is Airbnb profitable in Florida?

Short answer: it can be, and Florida is one of the strongest vacation-rental states in the country — but profitability swings hard by market, by the rules at your address, and by how well the home is run. Florida drew roughly 143 million visitors in 2024, which keeps demand healthy, but a strong top line doesn’t guarantee a strong bottom line.

What Florida listings actually earn

Recent market data shows how much returns vary by city (figures are approximate and shift with season and source):

• Fort Lauderdale: ~68% occupancy, ~$212 ADR, ~$49K/year
• Miami: ~69% occupancy, ~$175 ADR, ~$41K/year
• Orlando: ~67% occupancy, ~$147 ADR, ~$38K/year
• Tampa: average nightly rates in the low-$200s across a deep, year-round market
• Premium beach (e.g. 30A/Inlet Beach): lower occupancy (~40%) but ADRs of $500+ and revenue around $60K

Revenue is not profit — mind the costs

From the top line, subtract the real costs of running a rental: mortgage, cleaning and turnovers, management, supplies and restocking, maintenance, utilities, internet, insurance (which is higher in Florida), property taxes, and the state and county lodging taxes you collect and remit. A home that grosses $45K can net very differently depending on how those are managed.

The biggest variable is whether you can legally run it

Before any revenue math, confirm short-term rental is even allowed at your address. In restrictive markets like Orlando or Miami Beach, the wrong property can’t legally operate at all — which makes its “potential” revenue irrelevant. Start with Florida’s short-term rental laws and your county’s rules.

How to improve your odds

The owners who profit consistently get three things right: they buy or operate where the rules allow it, they price to the calendar instead of a flat rate, and they keep reviews high through clean turnovers and fast communication. Those are the levers a good manager pulls every week.