Not financial advice: This is not financial advice. It is strictly our opinion, for general information only. Talk to a licensed financial adviser, accountant or attorney before making investment decisions.
If you own, or are about to buy, a condo on Clearwater Beach and want it to earn its keep, there are three broad ways to rent it: to vacation guests by the night or week, to seasonal guests by the month, or to a tenant on an annual lease. Each one suits a different owner. This is how we think about the choice.
Step one: the rules decide what’s possible
Before you compare income, find out which options are allowed for your unit. Three layers apply:
- City zoning. Many residentially zoned properties in Clearwater can’t be rented for less than 31 days. Some buildings are in zones, or have approvals, that allow shorter stays. Our short-term rental rules guide explains how this works in each beach town.
- Your association. Each condo association sets its own minimum stay and rental rules, and they’re often stricter than the city’s. Minimums vary widely from building to building, and some also limit how many times a year a unit can be rented.
- State licensing. Vacation rentals that meet the state’s definition need a license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation under section 509.241 of the Florida Statutes.
For many buildings on the beach, that means the real choice is between monthly seasonal rentals and an annual lease.
Vacation rentals: highest rates, most work
Where nightly or weekly stays are allowed, they usually earn the highest rate per night, with the most effort and the biggest swings. PriceLabs data for nearby short-term rental listings shows how the last 12 months played out, for all sizes combined:
| Month | Nights booked | Average nightly rate |
|---|---|---|
| July 2025 | 74% | $306 |
| August 2025 | 62% | $246 |
| September 2025 | 50% | $226 |
| October 2025 | 55% | $232 |
| November 2025 | 51% | $238 |
| December 2025 | 47% | $267 |
| January 2026 | 53% | $247 |
| February 2026 | 79% | $340 |
| March 2026 | 86% | $408 |
| April 2026 | 77% | $330 |
| May 2026 | 71% | $274 |
| June 2026 | 64% | $287 |
Over the 12 months, about 64% of available nights were booked, at an average of $292 a night. March was the strongest month, at 86% booked and about $408 a night, and December the quietest, at 47%. By size, 1 bedroom units averaged about $205 a night, 2 bedroom units about $352 and 3 bedroom units about $491, each with roughly 64% of nights booked.
In our opinion, vacation rentals suit owners who want to use the home themselves for some weeks, who are comfortable with seasonal cash flow, and who either enjoy hosting or pay for good management.
Seasonal rentals: the snowbird market
Monthly rentals for the winter months are a natural fit for buildings with 30 day or longer minimums. The figures above point the same way: February to April were also the busiest months for short stays.
Keep in mind that rentals of six months or less are taxable in Florida. In Pinellas County that’s 6% state sales tax, a 1% county surtax and a 6% tourist development tax, so a three-month winter rental is taxed just like a weekend stay.
Annual leases: steadier, simpler
A tenant on a lease longer than six months isn’t subject to those transient rental taxes, and you’ll have far fewer turnovers, less cleaning and less furniture to replace. The trade-off is that you can’t use the home yourself, and you give up the flexibility of seasonal pricing. Florida’s landlord and tenant law (chapter 83 of the Florida Statutes) governs these leases, and since October 1, 2025, section 83.512 requires a flood disclosure for leases of one year or longer.
We don’t publish typical monthly or annual rents here, because we don’t have a reliable public source for them. For a figure for your unit, ask us for an income estimate.
How we’d choose
- Start with the rules for your exact unit, in writing from the association.
- Decide how much you want to use the home. If you want winters here yourself, an annual lease won’t work.
- Be honest about time. Short stays need constant attention. Our property management team can help if you’d rather not do it yourself.
- Run a full-year budget with every cost and tax. Our guide to the real costs of owning a vacation rental lists them, and our look at rental seasons shows how the calendar behaves.
Our June 2026 market report has the latest sales and rental figures, and our condo building guides cover individual buildings. Questions? Contact us.
Not financial advice: This is not financial advice. It is strictly our opinion, for general information only. Talk to a licensed financial adviser, accountant or attorney before making investment decisions.
Sources
- PriceLabs market data for short-term rental listings near Clearwater Beach, July 2025 to June 2026. Rates are booked revenue divided by booked nights. PriceLabs recalculates past months over its current listing sample, so figures can change slightly over time.
- Florida Department of Revenue, local option transient rental tax rates (DR-15TDT) and Pinellas County tourist development tax.
- Florida Statutes, section 509.241, vacation rental licenses.
- Florida Statutes, section 83.512, flood disclosure for residential leases of one year or longer.