Every fall, as snowbirds start heading back to the Gulf Coast, Venice homeowners ask us the same question: should I rent my home to seasonal guests for a few months, or lease it to a full-time tenant for the year?
Both can work. The right answer depends on your property, your HOA, how much time you want to spend on it, and whether you plan to use the home yourself. Here’s a plain look at the trade-offs so you can decide with real numbers in front of you.
What counts as “annual” and what counts as “seasonal”
An annual rental is usually a 12-month lease with a tenant who lives in the home full time. It’s often unfurnished, and the tenant typically pays the utilities.
A seasonal rental is a furnished stay of a few weeks to a few months, most often during the winter, when visitors and snowbirds come to Venice. The owner usually covers the utilities, internet and upkeep.
The line that matters most in Florida is six months. Rentals of six months or less are treated as transient rentals, and that changes how they’re taxed and, in some cases, licensed.
Income: higher monthly rates vs. steady rent
In peak season, a furnished Venice home can bring in more per month than a typical annual lease. But seasonal demand doesn’t last all year. The home can sit empty through the summer and early fall, and those empty months have to be paid for out of the winter income.
An annual lease brings in less per month but gives you 12 predictable payments, one tenant, and fewer gaps.
The only way to know which comes out ahead for your home is to run both numbers side by side, after costs, taxes and expected empty months.
Costs owners often overlook with seasonal rentals
- Furnishing and stocking the home: furniture, linens, kitchenware, and replacing them as they wear out.
- Utilities and services the owner usually pays: electric, water, internet, TV, lawn and pool care.
- Cleaning and turnover between every guest.
- Insurance: a policy written for a long-term rental may not cover short stays. Check with your insurance agent.
- Taxes: in Sarasota County, rentals of six months or less are subject to Florida’s 7% sales tax plus a 6% county tourist tax. If you book guests directly, you register and send in those taxes yourself. Some booking platforms collect and pay them for you, but only for the bookings made through that platform.
Licensing, HOA and local rules
- State license: Florida requires a vacation rental license from the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) if you rent the whole unit more than three times in a calendar year for less than 30 days or one calendar month, or if you advertise it as a place regularly rented to guests.
- HOA and condo rules: many Venice communities set minimum lease terms, limit how many times a year you can lease, or require the association to approve each tenant. Read your documents before you decide, because they can rule seasonal renting out completely.
- Local zoning: check the rules with the City of Venice or Sarasota County, depending on where your home is.
- Homestead exemption: if you claim homestead on the home, renting it out can affect that exemption. Check with the Sarasota County Property Appraiser first.
The workload
Seasonal renting is closer to running a small hospitality business: frequent guest messages, check-ins and check-outs, cleanings, reviews, restocking, and more wear and tear from a steady stream of visitors.
Annual renting puts most of the work up front: marketing the home, screening applicants carefully, and signing a solid lease. After that it’s routine: rent collection, maintenance requests, inspections, and renewals.
When each option makes sense
Seasonal may fit if:
- your home is furnished and close to the beach or downtown Venice
- you want to use the home yourself for part of the year
- your HOA allows short stays
- you’re ready to handle licensing, tax filings and frequent turnover
Annual may fit if:
- you want steady, predictable income
- you live out of the area or don’t want to be on call for guests
- your HOA or condo sets minimum lease terms
- the home is unfurnished, or you’d rather not furnish it
Some owners split the difference with a furnished lease longer than six months. That falls outside the transient rental tax, but talk to your tax professional about your own situation first.
How Secure Door can help
Secure Door manages annual rentals across Venice and Sarasota County, from marketing and tenant screening to rent collection, maintenance and renewals. Learn more about our Venice property management and our leasing process.
If you’re weighing your options, start with a real number. Request a free quote and we’ll show you what your Venice home could earn as an annual rental, so you can compare it with the seasonal route.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Tax rates and rules are current as of November 2026 and can change.