Airbnb Legal Condos

In 2021, Miami Airbnbs hosted 710,000 guests and earned a collective $200 million, Airbnb said. With big events like spring break, the Miami Open and Ultra Music Festival, Miami Airbnb hosts stand to gain thousands of dollars in March and April.

Airbnb said that in December and January, searches for Miami stays during spring break period, from March 14 to April 6, were up 200% compared to last year. Miami hosts earned a collective $7 million during that stretch in 2019, the last spring break before the pandemic.

What you need to know about Airbnb Condos

First and foremost, the majority of condo buildings in Miami do not allow owners to participate in short term rentals of any kind. Most Miami luxury condos only allow long term leases, usually for a minimum of 6 to 12 months.

Miami Beach does not allow for Airbnbs in most residential areas and used to have some of the steepest fines in the country for illegal Airbnbs, with perpetrators facing between $20,000 and $100,000 fines. Following a 2018 lawsuit, the Miami Beach city council voted to lower the fines to $1,000 for first-time offenders and $5,000 for repeat offenders.

Almost always, new tenants need to be approved by the condo association or board before getting the keys. Vacation rentals are generally not allowed in most condo buildings in Miami, so it’s important to choose the right building with relaxed rental restrictions in place.

Finding a Miami condo that allows you to rent short term on Airbnb Miami or other platforms requires the approval of the condominium association and means the building has flexible rental rules and allows for daily Airbnb or weekly rentals. These rules are clearly explained in the condominium documents and in the condo building by-laws. If you’re interested in purchasing a condo to use for short term rentals in Miami and Miami Beach, then it’s important that you understand all of the rules and requirements.

Many of the newer Miami condo buildings understand that buyers want this option and are incorporating short-term rental plans into their building rules. However, working with a real estate professional who knows these rules and which buildings are do allow short-term rental options, can save you a lot of headaches. The last thing you want is to buy your dream Miami condo and then realize the rules governing the building have rules restricting leases and it doesn’t allow Airbnb. This is especially true in South Beach and Sunny Isles Beach.

The Advantages of Short Term Rental Investments in Miami

The most obvious advantage of owning a Miami Condo or condo hotel that allows short term rentals is that owners can use it when they’re in town and rent it out when they are away. The most popular short term or vacation rental platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO make it extremely easy to get started. Putting your property on one of these websites allows you to earn income which can then pay for the majority of operating expenses, such as property taxes and monthly maintenance fees.

Purchasing an Airbnb rental property is more popular than ever in Miami and Miami Beach for a number of reasons. Most buyers of Miami Condos see Airbnb condo investments as a way to participate in real estate investing in Miami by creating cash flow on a property that is most likely going to increase in value. As Miami and Miami Beach continues to grow and attract people from all over the world, many people see Airbnb condo investments as a way to participate in this growth.

Right now, it seems that everyone wants to have a pied-a-terre in Miami or Fort Lauderdale Beach. And buying into Airbnb Miami condos that allows daily rentals with limited rental restrictions allows owners and investors to subsidize their amazing Miami lifestyle. Owners get the best of all worlds; they get to enjoy Miami and Miami Beach when they want to, and make an income when they are away.

Travel booking website Priceline said Miami was the most popular travel destination for Gen Z travelers (ages 18 to 25) this spring break, with Fort Lauderdale being the second-most booked flight.

“In Miami, big events are really coming back this year and we’re seeing people are excited to travel again for those big events,” said Liz DeBold Fusco, who heads Airbnb’s North American policy and corporate communications. “We’ve seen a lot more domestic travel since the pandemic hit. After all travel completely stopped, starting in May and June 2020, we saw people starting to travel and stay at Airbnbs within 300 to 500 miles of where they live.”

Fusco said the digital short-term rental company has seen bookings for long-term stays of 28 days or more via Airbnb skyrocket since the pandemic. The year-round sunshine, bevy of outdoor activities and lax COVID-19 rules drove remote workers to Miami to live and work.

“I cannot overstate the idea of people living on Airbnb and how significant that is,” she said, noting that 22% of the bookings in October through December of 2021 were for stays that were a month or longer and that Airbnb partnered with Visit Florida to attract those visitors.

“It’s an opportunity for cities, many cities have thought about how to embrace remote workers and Miami is a clear example of having done this.”

Other Things You Should Know About Short Term Rental Investments

If you’re looking to purchase a condo or property to use solely for Airbnb in Miami, then it’s important to do your research and know everything you can ahead of time. For example, it is important to understand the financing rules. Miami condos that allow Airbnb or daily rentals, whether daily or weekly, may have different financing rules than typical condos do.

So obtaining financing or a mortgage on a building that allows you to do these short term rental investment may be difficult. Most banks have specific criteria and rules in place and the building will need to be approved before you apply for a loan. Financing for condos that allow 30-day or longer rentals is more conventional and easier to obtain, while condos that allow short term daily rentals and Airbnb usually require different types of financing altogether.

The Difference Between a Short Term Rental Property and Condo Hotel Units

Just like a traditional condo that allows for daily rentals, many condo hotels in Miami also have flexible rental rules and can also be a great option. With a condo hotel, the owners have the flexibility of either renting it directly via their own platform such as Airbnb Miami condos or the owners can rent it directly through the hotel program.

Since condo-hotel units have flexible rental policies and already have an in-house hotel program management team focused on clients renting for short terms, a condo-hotel can be a great option. It’s important to know that sometimes the Miami condo hotel management have their own rules in place if you want to manage your condo-hotel unit yourself, through Airbnb or other platforms, instead of the hotel’s in-house management program.

And as I stated above, Condo-Hotel usually require special financing rules as well, so it’s important to talk to your lender ahead of time.

Condo Buildings in Miami and Miami Beach that are Airbnb Approved

There are dozens of Miami condos that allow owners to do Airbnb, whether in South Beach, North Beach, Downtown Miami or Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. On this page, you will find an updated list of condo buildings that allow some form of short term rentals or Airbnb. However, it is extremely important that you do your own due diligence and verify with the local condo association bylaws that this is in fact legal. I would suggest you to read the updated rules and condo docs to confirm that short term rentals like Airbnb are in fact allowed.

Other Neighborhoods in Miami

It used to be that everyone wanted to live in Miami Beach. Hot spots such as South Beach, Sunny Isles Beach and even Coconut Grove were always the hot spots. But nowadays, Downtown Miami and Brickell are the new “in place” to be. The perfect condo no longer needs to be on the ocean or have Biscayne Bay views, but rather it needs to be well located and within walking distance to the best restaurants, bars, shopping and nightlife. And in fact, some of the most desirable luxury condo buildings in the Miami area have world class amenities. Rooftop swimming pools, a lap pool, fitness center and even a rock climbing wall are the new things to have.

Many condo associations in Miami dade county are updating the rules and making the condos more in tuned to today’s buyers and allow for Airbnb.

Pre-Construction and New Construction Condo Buildings that Allow Short Term Rentals

At this time, there is a huge new construction condo building boom taking place throughout Miami and located in trendy neighborhoods such as Downtown Miami, Brickell and Sunny Isles Beach. Many of these new pre-construction condo specifically are marketing themselves and Airbnb friendly buildings and provide much of the infrastructure already in place. Buildings in Downtown Miami such as Lofty, Natiivo and Smart Brickell are designed with short term rentals in mind. In fact, downtown Miami, Florida is overtaking South Beach as the hip new cool spot to live and work. This could make for a great investment opportunity.

Many of these real estate developers are constructing new condo buildings that allow Airbnb as a way to make the building more desirable and marketable. Buying pre-construction means you are taking advantage of early-bird pricing and your pick of the best units for sale. If you are interested in buying into a new condo development project located in Downtown Miami or South Beach, make sure to check out the Pre-construction condos section on our website. With the booming real estate market and rising prices, buying during the pre-construction phase allows you to lock in today’s prices in the hottest new building. Many of these new construction condo buildings are located in the hottest neighborhood and have full services, including pools, spas and even a state-of-the-art fitness center.

Since Sunny Isles Beach and South Beach tends to attract overseas buyers, putting your Miami condo in the hotel program can generate great income. Investors interested in getting more information and would like me to send over the fine print, just let me know.

Airbnb Condos In The News