Short answer: yes, with a permit. Clermont allows short-term rentals for non-owner-occupied, whole-house single-family and duplex properties inside city limits. That last part matters more than most buyers realize. A lot of homes with a Clermont mailing address are not actually inside Clermont's city limits at all. Get that wrong and every other step in this guide changes.
Here is what the city actually requires, what it costs, and how to check which rules apply to your specific address.
Does your address actually sit inside Clermont's city limits?
Check this first, before anything else. Many "Clermont" addresses sit in unincorporated Lake County instead. Some sit in a different city entirely. The City of Clermont says as much on its own site. A mailing address does not guarantee city jurisdiction. Confirm your specific parcel with the Lake County Property Appraiser before you assume Clermont's city rules apply.
If your property sits outside city limits, Clermont's permit process does not apply to you at all. Lake County's rules take over instead, and those rules can look very different. This single check can save you weeks of confusion later.
What counts as a short-term rental in Clermont?
Inside city limits, Clermont defines a short-term rental as a non-owner-occupied, whole-house single-family or duplex unit. The rental period has to run less than six months at a time. Owner-occupied rentals and most multi-family buildings do not fall under this specific permit path.
Florida's statewide definition runs a bit differently. State law generally treats a rental as short-term once you rent it more than three times a year for stays under 30 days. Both definitions can apply to the same property at once. Plan for both the city permit and the state license.
What does it take to get licensed?
Every eligible property needs a vacation rental permit from the City of Clermont. That permit costs $375 per unit. You also need a Florida DBPR license for a transient public lodging establishment. A certificate of registration with the Florida Department of Revenue comes next. A separate City of Clermont Business Tax Receipt applies too, with a fee that scales by the number of bedrooms in the unit.
The application itself asks for several things. Proof of ownership. Copies of your state and county registrations. An exterior sketch showing parking and pool areas. An interior floor plan marking exits and smoke detectors. A mandatory Life Safety inspection has to pass before the city issues anything. Plan on renewing the permit and the Business Tax Receipt together every year by September 30.
Want to see what's actually available before you go through this process? Browsing current Clermont listings shows you which properties are already set up for this kind of investment.
Clermont Short-Term Rental Costs, At a Glance
| $375 | City vacation rental permit fee, per unit, renewed annually by September 30. City of Clermont, current as of 2026 |
| Varies | Business Tax Receipt fee, scaled by bedroom count, in addition to the permit fee. BNBCalc, 2026 |
| 10% | Combined state and county tax: 6% Florida sales tax plus 4% Lake County Tourist Development Tax. City of Clermont via GetChalet, 2026 |
| $1,000+/day | Starting fine for operating without a permit under Florida law, for a first offense. Home24Seven via GetChalet, 2026 |
What are the actual taxes on a licensed Clermont rental?
The City of Clermont's own published guidance puts the combined tax at 10 percent. That breaks down to 6 percent Florida state sales tax plus 4 percent Lake County Tourist Development Tax. There is no separate city lodging tax on top of that, according to the city's own site.
One other source describes things differently. It lists a separate 4 percent city resort tax layered on top of a 5 percent county tax, which would push the total higher. The two sources disagree on this point. Confirm the exact combined rate directly with Lake County and the City of Clermont before you build a pricing model around it. Airbnb collects and remits the state and county portions automatically for bookings made through its platform. That removes one step. It does not remove your responsibility to verify the number is correct.
Can your HOA still say no?
Yes, and this overrides the city permit entirely. A city permit means the city will not stop you. It says nothing about whether your homeowners association will. Many Central Florida HOAs restrict or ban short-term rentals in their covenants regardless of what the city allows.
Get the HOA's covenants and restrictions in writing before you buy, not after. A city permit plus an HOA ban still adds up to a property you cannot legally rent short-term.
Weighing a rental property in Clermont?
We'll help you confirm city limits and HOA rules before you make an offer.
How strict is enforcement in Clermont?
Enforcement runs on a complaint basis rather than active patrols. Noise complaints, parking issues, and neighbor disputes are what typically trigger a code enforcement visit. Hosts who stay licensed and keep guests reasonably quiet tend to operate without much friction.
That does not make unlicensed operation low-risk, though. Florida law allows fines starting at $1,000 per day for a first offense. The number climbs from there for repeat violations. A missed permit renewal counts as a violation too, just like never applying in the first place.
Insurance works differently for a licensed short-term rental than for a standard homeowner policy. Most standard policies do not cover nightly guests. You need a landlord policy or a short-term rental specific policy instead. Your lender also needs to know upfront if you plan to use the property this way. Some conventional loan programs treat short-term rental income differently than long-term lease income. Confirm this with your lender before you count on projected rental income to qualify.
How does Clermont compare to nearby cities?
Clermont sits closer to the permissive end of the spectrum. It has a clear path to a legal permit. There is no codified cap on how many permits the city will issue. Compare that to Winter Garden's much stricter Airbnb rules. Winter Garden blocks most non-owner-occupied whole-home rentals outright in residential zones. Clermont gives you a real path. Winter Garden mostly does not.
Weighing new construction over an existing home? New construction options in Clermont are worth a look. Builder communities sometimes address short-term rental eligibility directly in their HOA documents from day one. That beats leaving it ambiguous until after you close.
How the Erica Diaz Team can help
A Clermont real estate agent who works this market regularly can check your target address against the city limits map. That check happens before you ever schedule a tour. That single check either opens the door to a straightforward permit process, or sends you looking at Lake County's rules instead.
The team has also guided short-term rental purchases across Central Florida, including markets with rules stricter and looser than Clermont's. That broader view helps put Clermont's numbers in real context before you commit to a specific property.
Not sure if your property qualifies?
We'll check city limits and zoning before you spend a dollar on permits.
Zoning, licensing, and tax figures in this post come from the City of Clermont, GetChalet, and BNBCalc, as dated throughout. Sources disagree on the exact combined tax rate, which reflects real ambiguity in how Lake County and city rules are documented publicly. Confirm current requirements with the City of Clermont Planning and Zoning Department and the Lake County Tax Collector before making a purchase or licensing decision. This post is informational and is not legal or tax advice.
