What rules apply to vacation rentals in Cocoa Beach?

Cocoa Beach regulates vacation rentals under Chapter 26.5 of its City Code, and Ordinance 1695, passed by the City Commission on March 20, 2025, applies those rules citywide rather than only in the RS-1 zoning district. The city's registration page requires a vacation rental business tax receipt first, followed by a registration.

Under the city's Chapter 26.5 text, registration is renewed every year, inspections follow registration and each renewal, and occupancy is capped at the lesser of two occupants per bedroom plus two, or eight in total. The cap does not apply when the owner occupies the property, and some rentals outside RS-1 could seek grandfathered occupancy.

Under section 509.032(7)(b), Florida Statutes, local rules adopted after June 1, 2011 cannot prohibit vacation rentals or regulate how long or how often they are rented.