What It Actually Costs to Start a Vilano Beach STR

Starting a short-term rental in Vilano Beach begins with a phone call, not a furniture order. Vilano is unincorporated St. Johns County, sitting east of the Intracoastal Waterway, a detail that matters because it means county registration applies here, not the exemption language that covers some inland St. Johns County properties. Call County Code Enforcement at (904) 209-0734 before committing to anything. As of this writing, the county's online registration portal was temporarily down, so this brief will not guess at a 2026 registration fee, confirm the current cost directly with the desk.

Once registration is settled, the county's Tourist Development Tax adds another layer: 5 percent, collected through a separate office at (904) 209-2250. On a typical Vilano listing pulling in roughly $63,182 a year across 161 active listings, that tax obligation is real money, but it isn't a substitute for registration, and registration isn't a substitute for it. Both have to be filed. Occupancy across the county is capped at two guests per room, up to 10 total, excluding children age 12 and under.

Price the County Registration Before You Furnish

Registration comes first because it's the one requirement that can stop a launch cold. Vilano's location east of the ICW means the west-of-Intracoastal exemption some St. Johns County hosts rely on does not apply here, call (904) 209-0734 and ask what the county's live 2026 registration path actually costs before spending a dollar on furniture or photography. If the online portal is still down when you call, ask the desk directly and get the answer in writing.

That single phone call replaces guesswork. A Vilano STR rules read walks through what the county desk asks for, and Vilano versus St. Johns desks breaks down which office handles which requirement. Neither the 5 percent tourist tax nor the state DBPR filing counts as registration, they're separate steps that come after, not instead of, the county call. The typical Vilano listing's $63,182 in annual revenue doesn't offset the cost of skipping this step and getting shut down before the first booking.

Before You Buy a Sofa

County Code Enforcement, (904) 209-0734, codenf@sjcfl.us, is the office that actually opens a Vilano Beach short-term rental. Call before night one and confirm four things: short-term registration status, the occupancy cap (two per room, 10 maximum, not counting children 12 and under), any applicable overlay restrictions, and turtle-lighting compliance if the property sits on the beach itself. Lighting is a separate compliance requirement, not part of the occupancy count, get the answer in writing.

Once the county has answered those four questions, the rest is execution. A typical Vilano listing earns around $63,182 a year with 40 percent occupancy, a March peak, and an October low point, figures worth knowing when planning furnishing and photography, covered in How to market a Vilano stay and detailed further in The market report. A Superhost badge or a strong professional-management track record doesn't replace the county call; it just makes the property perform better once the paperwork is settled.

The Tourist Development Tax Line

The Tourist Development Tax office is separate from County Code Enforcement: call (904) 209-2250 or email str@sjctax.us, with the main office at 4030 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Ask specifically for the Tourist Development Tax desk. The rate has been 5 percent since October 1, 2021, confirm it's still current for 2026 and file on time. This office collects the lodging tax; it does not issue registration or zoning approval, and a TDT account is not a license to advertise.

Florida sales tax is a third, separate filing through the Department of Revenue, the combined tax obligation on a Vilano stay isn't a single blended percentage, so keep each filing distinct. A 30-night-plus minimum stay doesn't exempt a listing from tourist tax either; roughly half of Vilano's active listings already set 30-plus night minimums, and the tax still applies to shorter qualifying stays. Buying a Vilano rental and Financing the note both work from the same $63,182 typical-year figure, the tax and financing conversations only make sense once the registration and tax accounts are open.

Do not treat as fact a Registration Fee

The county's registration portal was temporarily unavailable while this brief was researched, and rather than guess, the honest answer is: call (904) 209-0734 and ask the desk what the current 2026 registration path costs. A market classification like “AirROI Low” describes rental performance, not an ordinance, it isn't permission to skip the registration call or to borrow a fee figure from a neighboring city.

That last point matters because Vilano Beach and the City of St. Augustine are frequently confused. Do not apply City of St. Augustine registration language, or its phone line, (904) 201-8839, to a Vilano property; that's a different jurisdiction with different rules, covered in Vilano versus St. Johns desks and expanded in Two town pins. The occupancy cap (two per room, 10 max, excluding children 12 and under) is a capacity limit, not a fee, and roughly 42 percent of Vilano listings have capacity for eight or more guests without changing that math.

St. Augustine Beach Is a Different City Desk

St. Augustine Beach, a separate incorporated city with its own hall at (904) 471-2122, is not Vilano Beach, even though both draw heavily from Jacksonville visitors and share a March peak season. St. Augustine Beach's typical listing earns around $41,633 a year, with an ADR near $380, 42.8 percent occupancy, a January low point, and average stays of 5.2 nights. Those numbers describe a real neighboring market, but they describe St. Augustine Beach, not the Vilano parcel you're registering.

Vilano's own numbers run differently: roughly $63,182 typical annual revenue, 40 percent occupancy, a March peak, an October low, and 4.2-night average stays. If a listing is genuinely in St. Augustine Beach, call (904) 471-2122; if it's in Vilano, call (904) 209-0734, the two desks don't share a registration process just because they share a peak season. Anyone weighing a longer minimum-stay strategy should also check Remote stays, since a 30-night filter doesn't change which desk you call.

DBPR Sits Statewide Before Night One

Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation, under Florida Statute 509, applies to short-term rentals statewide, it's a separate requirement from county registration, the 5 percent tourist tax, sales tax, or any HOA restriction. Roughly 23 percent of Vilano listings are professionally managed, but independent hosts running the remaining share still have to file DBPR themselves; hiring a manager with a strong track record doesn't file it for you unless that's explicitly part of the arrangement.

St. Augustine Beach hosts fall under the same statewide DBPR requirement, even though their local registration runs through a different city hall. Confirm DBPR status alongside the county call, not instead of it, both apply regardless of which season or shoulder-month strategy is being planned, a point worth checking against Shoulder season before finalizing a rate calendar.

Do Not Call (904) 201-8839 for a Vilano Property

The number (904) 201-8839 reaches City of St. Augustine short-term rental registration, a different jurisdiction from both Vilano Beach and St. Augustine Beach. Hosts who file City of St. Augustine paperwork for a Vilano property are filing with the wrong office entirely; the correct contacts remain County Code Enforcement at (904) 209-0734 and the Tourist Development Tax desk at (904) 209-2250.

St. Augustine Beach's own hall, (904) 471-2122, is a third and equally distinct office, its $41,633 typical annual revenue and 5.2-night average stay describe that city's market, not Vilano's. Confirm which parcel is actually in hand before dialing any of these three numbers; a shared Jacksonville visitor base and overlapping March peak season don't mean the paperwork is interchangeable.

What You Actually Spend Before Night One

Before the first guest checks in, a Vilano host genuinely spends on: county registration (fee to be confirmed directly with the desk), the 5 percent Tourist Development Tax setup, Florida sales tax registration, DBPR filing, furniture, and professional photography. What a host should not spend money assuming is a registration fee this brief can't verify, City of St. Augustine paperwork, or St. Augustine Beach hall fees for a property that isn't in that city.

With the paperwork settled, the market numbers become useful planning tools: a typical Vilano listing earns around $63,182 a year, with an ADR near $492, 40 percent occupancy, a March peak, an October low, average stays of 4.2 nights, and roughly a 93-day advance booking lead time. About half of active listings already require 30-plus night minimums. Those figures price the rental, they don't replace the calls to (904) 209-0734 and (904) 209-2250 that have to happen first.

Related Reading

More Vilano Beach, Florida reading already live on Crest & Cove.

• Vilano Beach STR Report 2026: $63,182, Not City Copy

• Market a Vilano Beach Stay: The Pier, Not Castillo Copy

• Vilano STR Rules: County Registration Versus City Hall

• Vilano Shoulder: March Peak, October Hole, June Extra

• Vilano Beach Remote Stays: 80 Listings Already Set 30-Plus

• DIY vs Hire in Vilano: Twenty-Three Percent PM, Wren Nine

• Who Books a Vilano Rental: March Peak, Jacksonville Origin

• Buying a Vilano Rental: Cite $63,182,

• Vilano Tourism Data: The Bridge Is Demand, Not T12

• Complete Visitor's Guide to Vilano Beach and the Pier

• Financing a Vilano Beach Rental Without City Costume Copy

• Vilano vs St Johns: County Code Desk at

• Vilano $63,182 vs St Augustine Beach $41,633: Two Halls

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I price first when starting a Vilano Beach STR?

County registration comes first. Call County Code Enforcement at (904) 209-0734 before spending on furniture or photography, since Vilano sits east of the Intracoastal and the west-of-ICW exemption doesn't apply here. Everything else - the 5 percent tourist tax, sales tax, and DBPR - comes after registration is settled.

What is the County Code Enforcement phone number?

County Code Enforcement can be reached at (904) 209-0734 or codenf@sjcfl.us. This is the office that handles short-term rental registration, occupancy confirmation, overlay restrictions, and turtle-lighting compliance for beachfront properties.

What is the Tourist Development Tax phone number?

The Tourist Development Tax office can be reached at (904) 209-2250 or str@sjctax.us, with a main office at 4030 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084. The rate has been 5 percent since October 1, 2021 - confirm it's still current before filing.

Can I use a registration fee figure from elsewhere since the portal was down?

No. The county's online registration portal was temporarily down while this brief was researched, so no 2026 fee figure could be confirmed. Rather than borrow a number from St. Augustine Beach or the City of St. Augustine, call (904) 209-0734 directly and ask what the current registration path costs.

Is St. Augustine Beach the same market as Vilano Beach?

No. St. Augustine Beach is a separate incorporated city with its own hall at (904) 471-2122, its own typical annual revenue near $41,633, and its own registration process. Vilano Beach is unincorporated St. Johns County territory, handled through County Code Enforcement at (904) 209-0734. The two markets share a Jacksonville visitor base and a March peak, but not a registration desk.

Does a DBPR filing replace county registration?

No. DBPR, filed under Florida Statute 509, is a separate statewide requirement that applies regardless of county registration, tourist tax, or sales tax status. Independent hosts, who run the majority of Vilano's listings, still need to file DBPR themselves even after registering with the county.

Can I use the City of St. Augustine's registration line for a Vilano property?

No. (904) 201-8839 reaches City of St. Augustine registration, a different jurisdiction entirely. A Vilano Beach property should register through County Code Enforcement at (904) 209-0734, not the city line.

What do I actually spend before night one?

Before night one, expect to pay for county registration (fee to be confirmed with the desk), Tourist Development Tax setup, sales tax registration, DBPR filing, furniture, and photography. A typical Vilano listing then earns around $63,182 a year once those steps are complete, with 40 percent occupancy and a March peak.

Work with Crest & Cove Creative

Startup cost sheets fail when City of St. Augustine fees get pasted onto an unincorporated Vilano driveway. County registration is the desk that counts on this shoreline.

We help independent Vilano Beach hosts and buyers underwrite registration, tax receipt, and setup costs on the St. Johns County line without mixing city hall numbers into the budget. Keep neighboring desks labeled. Send the live listing or the fee worksheet if the startup math still wears a city costume.

Reach out at crestcove.co or (256) 998-7502.