How does a vacation rental investment in Davenport, Florida work?

What makes a home a "vacation rental" under Florida law?

Florida calls it "transient" lodging. A home falls into that category when it is rented to guests more than three times in a calendar year for stays of under 30 consecutive days, or when it is advertised that way (Florida Statutes §509.013).

Once that happens, the home is a public lodging establishment and needs a license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants, part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR). Running one without a license is a second-degree misdemeanor (§509.241). In other words, the listing goes live last, not first.

Sources: Florida Statutes 2026, §509.013 · Florida Statutes 2026, §509.241

Which registrations do you need before the first guest checks in?

The Aquamara site sits inside Davenport city limits, so city and Polk County requirements both apply. The usual sequence:

1. A DBPR vacation rental license for the property. License types, fees and the renewal date are covered in our Polk County short-term rental license guide.
2. A Polk County Class B local business tax receipt for each short-term rental location; the county wants proof of the DBPR license first (Polk County Tax Collector).
3. An annual City of Davenport business tax receipt. The city states that businesses inside its limits need receipts from both the city and the county (City of Davenport, Business Tax).
4. A sales tax registration with the Florida Department of Revenue to remit state tax on rentals.
5. A Tourist Development Tax account with Polk County, opened by the owner or the management company (Polk County Tax Collector, TDT).

Steps 4 and 5 can be partly handled by a booking platform or your manager, but the obligation itself stays with someone. Get it in writing who that is.

Sources: Polk County Tax Collector, real estate property rentals (as of November 14, 2026) · City of Davenport, Business Tax (as of November 14, 2026)

How much tax comes out of each booking?

In Polk County, rent is subject to 6% state sales tax plus a 1% county surtax, both paid to the Department of Revenue, and a 5% Tourist Development Tax paid to the county Tax Collector. The split between agencies is laid out on the Department of Revenue's DR-15TDT form.

That adds up to 12% of taxable rent for 2026. Filing deadlines, the county portal and what Airbnb collects on your behalf are in our Polk County tourist tax guide. Income tax on rental profit is a separate question that depends on how you hold title and where you live; talk to a CPA who works with out-of-state and foreign owners before you buy.

Sources: Florida Department of Revenue, DR-15TDT (R. 10/26) · Polk County Tax Collector, Tourist Development Tax

What changes when a property manager runs the home?

If you live in another state or another country, the management company is the hub of the operation. Under county rules, an owner who turns the rental over entirely to a manager holding a valid business tax receipt does not need a separate county receipt (Polk County Tax Collector).

At the state level, the manager can act as the owner's "licensed agent" under a group or collective DBPR license. That relationship is created by a contract between the two parties, not by a real estate license (DBPR vacation rental guide). Managers can also take over collecting and remitting the tourist tax. The management agreement is where you find out who holds each license, who files each tax and who is on the hook if something is missed, so read it as carefully as the purchase contract. For how to choose a company, see our Orlando vacation home property management guide.

Sources: DBPR, Vacation Rental and Timeshare Projects guide · Polk County Tax Collector, real estate property rentals

How is Aquamara different from a typical Davenport home?

The difference is the use restriction. At the Davenport Planning Commission hearing on March 16, 2026, Pulte said every home will be a short-term rental, with that restriction set out in a recorded declaration. The same minutes note that the homes will have no mail delivery and will not qualify for a homestead exemption, and that they are sold fee simple, mostly to investors, not as timeshares (March 16, 2026 minutes).

That cuts both ways. You are not buying into a neighborhood where full-time residents might push back on rentals, because the whole resort is built for them. On the other hand, the home cannot become your primary residence later, which narrows your options if plans change. The Sand & Silica CDD that Pulte petitioned for is described as lying "entirely within the incorporated limits" of Davenport (Ordinance 1354), and Florida law bars local governments from banning vacation rentals or limiting stay length, except under rules adopted by June 1, 2011 (§509.032).

Sources: City of Davenport, Planning Commission minutes, March 16, 2026 · City of Davenport, Ordinance 1354 (Sand & Silica CDD) · Florida Statutes 2026, §509.032

What should you evaluate before buying a vacation rental home?

• Carrying costs: HOA, CDD, insurance, utilities, pool service, maintenance and the management fee. For Aquamara, HOA and CDD amounts have not been released yet.
• Community rules: guest limits, parking, HOA sign-off for the city business tax receipt and what the declaration allows in listings.
• Management: whose name is on each license, who remits each tax, how owner statements work and what happens if you switch companies.
• Ownership structure: holding title personally or through an LLC affects taxes, financing and estate planning. Talk to a Florida attorney and a CPA before signing.
• Market: Davenport holds most of Polk County's vacation home supply, which means tourist demand and plenty of competition.

On that last point, Visit Central Florida, the county's tourism office, says more than 80% of Polk County's vacation rental homes are in Davenport. The page has no date or methodology, and "Davenport" there appears to mean the area rather than the city (Visit Central Florida). I found no official, dated source for occupancy or nightly rates, so this page makes no income projections.

For a more detailed cost picture, Daniel keeps guides on what it costs to own a vacation home in Orlando and on the costs of a vacation home near Disney, plus one on buying as an individual or through a company.

Sources: Visit Central Florida, Davenport: where to stay (undated)