The short answer
It depends on which "Tampa" you mean. A vacation rental in Tampa proper averages $20,500–$26,500 gross per year. The Gulf beaches are a different planet: Clearwater Beach ~$45,000 and Indian Rocks Beach $57,000–$66,000 — the top-earning submarket in the entire bay across two independent sources. An average 3BR in Indian Rocks bills $82,000.
Two facts define this market: regulation is risk #1 (in residential St. Petersburg and Clearwater, nightly rental is effectively banned — verified in official documents) and coastal insurance can eat $8,000–$15,000 a year after the 2024 hurricanes. The full P&L — uncomfortable part included — is below.
Gross annual revenue by submarket, three sources
Each provider draws the market differently (which is why St. Petersburg diverges so much: AirDNA’s figure includes Pinellas beaches). The consistent signal: the beach bills 2–3× the city.
| Submarket | AirDNA | AirROI | Rabbu |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa (city) | $20,500 | $26,503 | $22,107 |
| St. Petersburg | $27,800* | $20,400 | $35,500 |
| Clearwater (city) | $23,700 | — | $27,800 |
| Clearwater Beach | $42,300 | — | $47,700 |
| Madeira Beach | — | $37,800 | — |
| Treasure Island | — | $37,000 | — |
| Indian Rocks Beach | — | $65,951 | $57,000 |
Average per listing per year, USD. AirROI verified live Jul 20, 2026 (TTM Jun 2026); Rabbu Apr 2026; AirDNA Jul 2026. *AirDNA’s St. Pete figure covers a wider market that includes beaches.
City vs beach: revenue by bedroom count
The same bedroom count can bill two to three times more on the water. The big jump at the beach is from 2 to 3 bedrooms.
Average annual revenue per listing. Source: Rabbu (Tampa and Indian Rocks Beach, Apr 2026). Averages, not projections.
Rates, occupancy and seasonality
$334–454
ADR in Indian Rocks Beach (Tampa city: $183–217)
Rabbu · AirROI
40–50%
Realistic occupancy (AirDNA reports 55–60% under a different methodology)
AirROI · Rabbu · AirDNA
43M
2025 visitors: 28M Hillsborough + ~15M Pinellas
Visit Tampa Bay · Visit St. Pete/Clearwater
The peak is March (58–68% occupancy; Indian Rocks bills $11,341/mo) and February–April carries the year. The valley is September–October (34–40%), peak hurricane season. Citable demand behind it: Clearwater Beach is the #2 beach in the US (Tripadvisor 2026), Yankees and Phillies spring training, 1.66M cruise passengers at Port Tampa Bay and Gasparilla’s ~300,000 attendees.
The operator gap (Indian Rocks Beach)
Monthly revenue per listing, by percentile. Across every bay submarket the top 25% bills 1.7–1.9× the median: the difference is operation, not location.
Source: AirROI, Indian Rocks Beach report (verified live Jul 20, 2026). 43.2% of IRB listings already use professional management.
A real P&L: 3-bedroom in Indian Rocks Beach
A ~$750,000 purchase in a legal short-term-rental zone. Annual figures before any mortgage. Rental taxes (13% in Pinellas) are paid by the guest — they do not come out of these numbers.
| Line item | Annual |
|---|---|
| Gross annual revenue (average 3BR, Indian Rocks Beach) | $82,122 |
| Property management (25% of revenue) | −$20,531 |
| STR insurance incl. wind (Gulf beach) | −$6,500 |
| Flood insurance (barrier island, full-risk rate) | −$3,000 |
| Property tax (~0.9% on a $750K purchase) | −$6,750 |
| Utilities (~$350/mo) | −$4,200 |
| Maintenance & supplies (5% of gross) | −$4,100 |
| Platform fees (~3%) | −$2,464 |
| Licenses (DBPR + local registration) | −$350 |
| Cleaning (guest-paid, $318 average fee) | $0 |
| Net per year, before mortgage | ≈ $34,200 |
The uncomfortable part, said plainly: with an 80% mortgage at 2026 rates (~$47,900/year P&I on $600,000), this same case is negative cash flow of ~$13,700 per year. The Tampa Bay beach play works with more equity, buying below market post-hurricane, or running a top-quartile operation: the median IRB operator nets ~$21,000, the top 25% clears $57,000. For reference, a 3BR in Tampa proper nets ~$9,900 before mortgage: a much cheaper entry with no coastal insurance premium, but a much lower ceiling.
Coastal insurance: the line item Orlando doesn’t have
After hurricanes Helene and Milton (October 2024), coastal insurance is this market’s defining line: a Gulf beach STR policy with wind runs $4,000–$8,500/year (inland: $2,000–$4,000), plus flood — the NFIP average in Pinellas is $1,392, but the full-risk rate on barrier islands runs 2–3× that — and named-storm deductibles of 2–5% of insured value. Pinellas vacation-rental collections fell 41% in January 2025; the 2026 rebound (+18% to +32% on the beaches) is real, but off a depressed base. Without a real insurance quote there is no serious purchase analysis.
A warning for beach condos: the median HOA fee in metro Tampa is already $614/mo (+17.2% YoY, the biggest jump in the country) and milestone/SIRS inspections concentrate special assessments precisely in 25+ year-old beach buildings. For the base case, we prefer single-family.
Short-term rental taxes, by county
| County | Sales tax + surtax | Tourist Development Tax | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County (Tampa) | 6% + 1.5% | 6% | 13.5% |
| Pinellas County (St. Pete & beaches) | 6% + 1% | 6% | 13% |
Guests pay these on top of the rate, but the operator must register and remit in two systems (Florida DOR + the county collector). Hillsborough’s 7.5% combined rate has applied since Jun 1, 2025 (TIP 25A01-02, verified in the official PDF). One extra property-tax catch: the 10% non-homestead cap resets when you buy — your tax is computed on your purchase price, not the seller’s bill.
Where it’s legal (and where the fine is $1,000 a day)
Florida bars cities from banning vacation rentals, but pre-2011 ordinances remain in force — and Tampa Bay has several with real enforcement. This map is verified against the official documents.
Yes, nightly
Tampa (city)
No STR-specific ordinance: just the state DBPR license, a Business Tax Receipt and taxes. The simplest entry in the bay.
Indian Rocks Beach · Indian Shores
Nightly rental allowed with an annual registration (IRB: ordinance 2023-02). The top-earning submarket in the entire bay.
Treasure Island · Madeira & St. Pete Beach tourist districts
Allowed in specific zones (Treasure Island: CG/RFM/RFH/PR-MU) with a BTR and inspection. Verify the exact parcel’s zoning.
No (or barely)
St. Petersburg (residencial)
Maximum 3 rentals of under 30 days in any 365-day period — quoted verbatim from the city’s official handout. Fines up to $1,000/day since 2024. The escape route (Resort Facilities Overlay) has never been granted to any property.
Clearwater (residencial)
Bans rentals — and even ADVERTISING — under 31 days (code §3-919, with real enforcement cases).
Madeira Beach residential · unincorporated Hillsborough
Madeira residential: 3–6 month minimums unless grandfathered pre-2006. Unincorporated Hillsborough: 7-night minimum in residential — confirm parcel by parcel with the county.
Any operation requires the state vacation-rental license (DBPR, $230 first year) plus dual tax registration. Rules are local and change: verify the exact parcel before you buy.
Purchase prices: a market in correction
Tampa median $374,900 (−3.5% YoY), St. Petersburg $355,800 (−3.9%), Clearwater $369,900 (Redfin −7.7%). The Helene/Milton-hit coast is correcting harder: Clearwater Beach −17.6% per local brokers, with damaged properties trading at 60–70% of pre-storm value. For buyers with equity and stomach, the post-hurricane window is real — but it demands an inspection, a real insurance quote and verified zoning before signing.
Own (or want) a property in Tampa Bay?
The Clubbe manages short-term rentals in Tampa, Orlando and Ecuador: listing, dynamic pricing, guests, cleaning and your monthly payout with a clear report. We assess your property’s rental potential for free.
Sources
- AirROI — Tampa market report (verified live 2026-07-20)
- AirROI — Indian Rocks Beach market report (verified live 2026-07-20)
- Rabbu — Tampa Airbnb data, revenue by bedrooms (verified 2026-07-20)
- AirDNA — Tampa, St. Petersburg & Clearwater market overviews
- Florida Dept. of Revenue — TIP 25A01-02: Hillsborough combined rate 7.5% (official PDF)
- Florida Dept. of Revenue — DR-15DSS discretionary surtax by county
- City of St. Petersburg — Transient Accommodation Uses handout (official)
- City of Clearwater — Community Development Code §3-919
- Hillsborough County Tax Collector — Tourist Development Tax (6%)
- Pinellas County Tax Collector — Tourist Development Tax (6%)
- Redfin — Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater housing markets & HOA fee report
- Visit Tampa Bay — 2025 visitation and spend
- Florida DBPR — vacation rental licensing
- STRGuard — Florida STR & coastal insurance cost guide 2026
Data verified against sources on July 20, 2026 (six critical sources re-checked live that day, including the official Florida DOR and City of St. Petersburg PDFs). Averages vary with each provider’s methodology; where they differ, we show the range. The P&L is illustrative, with assumptions flagged. This article is informational and is not financial, legal or tax advice.