When is hurricane season on Florida's Gulf Coast?

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. The climatological peak is the second week of September. Most activity falls between mid August and mid October.

What is red tide, and will it affect my stay?

Red tide is a bloom of the alga Karenia brevis. Blooms commonly begin in late summer or early autumn and can last into winter or spring. A bloom offshore does not always reach the beach. Florida Fish and Wildlife publishes sampling results daily, so you can check conditions for a specific week before you travel.

When is sea turtle nesting season, and why are the beachfront lights shielded?

Nesting season runs May 1 to October 31. Through that window, coastal ordinances require beachfront lighting to be shielded, mounted low and kept long in wavelength. The rule keeps hatchlings from being drawn away from the water.

Why is there a minimum stay, and can I book just two nights?

The minimum stay is set by the city and the zoning district a house sits in, not by its owner. It varies across the Gulf Coast, so the answer depends on the address rather than the region. Tell us the house and the dates and we will tell you what is possible.

Which Gulf Coast beach should I choose?

Anna Maria Island reads low and residential. Clearwater Beach is the built-up resort strip. 30A is a chain of designed coastal towns. Madeira Beach is a working beach town. The right answer depends on whether you want quiet, energy, design or a dock.

Do I need a license to rent my Florida home short term?

Yes. Florida treats a home as a vacation rental when it is rented more than three times in a calendar year, for stays under thirty days. It needs a license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation before it is advertised or rented.

Can my city ban short-term rentals?

Florida prevents a local government from banning vacation rentals. It also stops a local government from regulating how long or how often a home is rented. The exception is an ordinance already in place on June 1, 2011, which is grandfathered and enforceable. Cities may still regulate registration, inspection, safety, occupancy, parking and noise.

Can my association stop me even if the city allows it?

Yes. State law limits what a government may do, not what a private covenant says. An association can restrict or prohibit rentals through its documents, commonly with a minimum lease term.

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Filed 14 July 2026 · Revised October 2026

The questions we are asked before a Gulf Coast stay

Straight answers on hurricane season, red tide, minimum stays, licensing and the local rules along Anna Maria, 30A, Clearwater and Madeira Beach.

[ Reviewed for the 2026 season ]

An open black leather journal on a dark desk, a fountain pen resting on its blank page. — The questions arrive in the same order every season. These are the answers we give.

The short version

Three things decide most of a Gulf Coast stay: when you come, what the water is doing, and what the local rules allow. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and its peak falls in September. Sea turtle nesting runs May 1 to October 31, so beachfront lights stay shielded after dark. Each city and its zoning district set the minimum stay, not the owner. Two towns twenty minutes apart can answer the same request differently.

Hurricane season and when to come

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. On the long-term record, the peak falls in the second week of September. Most activity lands between mid August and mid October. Plan around that window rather than stay away. The same months bring the warmest water and the thinnest crowds of the year.

Winter through spring is the busy season on this coast.
For a beach that feels like yours, look at May and early June.
Late September into October is the other quiet window.

The quietest weeks and the warmest water are the same weeks.

Red tide on the Gulf

Red tide is a bloom of the alga Karenia brevis. Blooms most often begin in late summer or early autumn and can persist into winter or spring. The length of a bloom varies, and a bloom offshore does not always reach the shoreline.

Florida Fish and Wildlife publishes sampling results every day. We read them before we answer a question about a specific week.

Sea turtle nesting season

Sea turtle nesting runs May 1 to October 31. Through that window, beachfront lighting is shielded, mounted low and kept long in wavelength. That is a local ordinance, not a house preference, and it keeps hatchlings from being drawn away from the water. It is also why an evening on the sand in nesting season is darker, and better, than you expect.

A roped nesting marker on an empty stretch of sand at dusk — Nesting season dims the beach without closing it.

What the local rules allow

Florida stops a city from banning vacation rentals outright. But an ordinance already on the books on June 1, 2011 is grandfathered and remains fully enforceable. That single date is why this coast is not one market. A town that wrote its rules early can hold a long minimum stay, and a town that did not cannot impose one now.

Cities can still regulate these things:

Cities can regulate registration and inspection.
Cities can regulate safety and occupancy.
Cities can regulate parking and noise.

Minimum stays by address

The minimum stay on any address is set by its city and its zoning district, not by its owner and not by us. Two houses twenty minutes apart can answer the same request differently. Ask us about the address rather than the region, and we will tell you what it can actually do.

If the house is yours

Florida treats a home as a vacation rental when it is rented more than three times in a calendar year, for stays under thirty days. That home needs a license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. It must hold the license before it is advertised or rented.

Most Gulf Coast jurisdictions then want their own registration on top of the state license. That usually comes with an inspection and a named local party who can reach the property quickly.

Rental taxes and association rules

Renting for six months or less makes you a transient rental provider for tax. You register for sales tax with the Florida Department of Revenue. A county tourist development tax applies on top, and it goes to the state or to the county, depending on the county.

State law governs what a government may do, not what your deed says. An association can still restrict rentals through its covenants, even where the city permits them.

Common questions

When is hurricane season on Florida's Gulf Coast?: Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. The climatological peak is the second week of September. Most activity falls between mid August and mid October.
What is red tide, and will it affect my stay?: Red tide is a bloom of the alga Karenia brevis. Blooms commonly begin in late summer or early autumn and can last into winter or spring. A bloom offshore does not always reach the beach. Florida Fish and Wildlife publishes sampling results daily, so you can check conditions for a specific week before you travel.
When is sea turtle nesting season, and why are the beachfront lights shielded?: Nesting season runs May 1 to October 31. Through that window, coastal ordinances require beachfront lighting to be shielded, mounted low and kept long in wavelength. The rule keeps hatchlings from being drawn away from the water.
Why is there a minimum stay, and can I book just two nights?: The minimum stay is set by the city and the zoning district a house sits in, not by its owner. It varies across the Gulf Coast, so the answer depends on the address rather than the region. Tell us the house and the dates and we will tell you what is possible.
Which Gulf Coast beach should I choose?: Anna Maria Island reads low and residential. Clearwater Beach is the built-up resort strip. 30A is a chain of designed coastal towns. Madeira Beach is a working beach town. The right answer depends on whether you want quiet, energy, design or a dock.
Do I need a license to rent my Florida home short term?: Yes. Florida treats a home as a vacation rental when it is rented more than three times in a calendar year, for stays under thirty days. It needs a license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation before it is advertised or rented.
Can my city ban short-term rentals?: Florida prevents a local government from banning vacation rentals. It also stops a local government from regulating how long or how often a home is rented. The exception is an ordinance already in place on June 1, 2011, which is grandfathered and enforceable. Cities may still regulate registration, inspection, safety, occupancy, parking and noise.
Can my association stop me even if the city allows it?: Yes. State law limits what a government may do, not what a private covenant says. An association can restrict or prohibit rentals through its documents, commonly with a minimum lease term.
What taxes apply when I rent my home short term in Florida?: Renting accommodations for six months or less makes you a transient rental provider. You register for sales tax with the Florida Department of Revenue. A county tourist development tax applies on top. Depending on the county, it is remitted to the state or to the county.

The honest answer to almost every question on this page depends on the house. Tell us where you are looking, or which home is yours, and we will tell you what it can actually do.

Ask about the address

The honest answer to almost every question on this page depends on the house. Tell us where you are looking, or which home is yours, and we will tell you what it can actually do.

Ask about the address