Moving to Sarasota: Furnished Rentals While You House Hunt
Real totals from homes listed on srq.rentals, how the six-month tax line works, and the license and homestead dates to plan around while you look for a house.
A furnished rental while you house hunt in Sarasota costs about $2,509 for the first month at a 2-bedroom home with a $2,000 monthly rate, and about $7,029 for three months, cleaning and tax included. Any stay of six months or less carries 13% tax on the rent and the cleaning fee. Sign a written agreement for longer than six months and the tax goes away: on that same home, 183 nights costs $12,353 while 181 nights costs $13,809.
Below are the totals for homes listed on srq.rentals today, how the six-month line works, and the Florida dates a new resident should plan around while the rental buys time. For which neighborhoods to try first, see our guide to relocating to Sarasota.
What a furnished rental costs on srq.rentals
We priced stays starting January 4, 2027 with the same math our checkout uses: the host's rate, the host's cleaning fee, and 13% tax on both for stays of six months or less. A monthly rate covers each full calendar month, and leftover nights are charged at 1/30 of it.
| Home | Size | Rate set by the host | 1 month (31 nights) | 3 months (90 nights) | 6 months (181 nights) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peaceful Sarasota Lakefront Retreat | 2 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 5 | $2,000 a month at 28+ nights, $220 cleaning | $2,509 | $7,029 | $13,809 |
| Zarazota (Sarasota, pool, pet friendly) | 3 bed, 2 bath, sleeps 8 | $230 a night, $250 Fri and Sat, 8% off at 28+ nights, $120 cleaning | $7,715 | $22,195 | $44,495 |
The Lakefront Retreat suits a house hunt: it has a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, a dedicated workspace, a fenced yard and self check-in, at a flat monthly price. Zarazota costs about three times as much because it is priced by the night and sleeps eight, and it is the one of the two listed as pet friendly. The owners live in the adjacent unit on the property.
Siesta Key condos listed on srq.rentals by a local management company also take monthly guests. The Inlet 39, a 2-bedroom, lists $90 a night from August to November with a 28-night minimum and $195 a night in February and March, so 30 nights is $2,700 to $5,850 in rent before tax and the manager's own fees. You book those on the manager's site. Browse more on our furnished monthly rentals page.
The six-month line
Florida taxes rentals of six months or less. In Sarasota County that is a 6% tourist development tax plus 7% sales tax (6% state and 1% county surtax), per the Sarasota County Tax Collector. Under Florida Statutes 212.03, a bona fide written agreement for continuous residence longer than six months is not taxed.
- With a written lease of more than six months, no sales tax or tourist tax is due on the rent, per the Tax Collector's account page.
- Without a written agreement, the host collects tax for the first six months, and the seventh month onward is exempt as long as you stay on in the same home, per the same page.
- On the Lakefront Retreat, 181 nights costs $13,809 with tax and 183 nights costs $12,353 without it. Two more nights cost $1,456 less.
- One home on srq.rentals is set up for exactly this: an upstairs 2-bedroom, 1-bath apartment on Siesta Key between Siesta Beach and Siesta Village, with a 183-night minimum. The host lists it at about $2,400 a month plus electric, partially furnished, walk-up only, with tenant screening. On our checkout 183 nights comes to $14,760 including cleaning, with no tax.
- Before you sign a term longer than six months, ask what leaving early costs. A closing can land sooner than planned. More on how hosts handle the tax on our tourist tax page.
Florida dates to plan around
- Driver license: if you take a job in Florida or enroll children in a Florida public school, you have 30 days from that start to get a Florida driver license before driving here, and your spouse has the same 30 days, under Florida Statutes 322.031. Renting does not change that.
- Homestead exemption: you must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1, and apply by March 1 of that year, per the Sarasota County Property Appraiser. Close and move in by December 31 and you can apply for the coming year; close on January 2 and you wait a full year.
- Season: January through April is snowbird season, when furnished homes book months ahead at their highest rates. If your move lands then, start looking early.
What to ask a host before you sign
- What an extension costs and how much notice it needs, in writing.
- Whether you can leave early if your closing comes sooner, and what that costs.
- What the price includes: electric, water, internet, parking, and whether there is a garage or storage for boxes.
- Pets: some houses allow them and many condos do not, because association rules override the owner.
- For a condo, whether the association requires an application and how long approval takes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a furnished rental cost while house hunting in Sarasota?
On srq.rentals a 2-bedroom home with a $2,000 monthly rate costs $2,509 for one month and $7,029 for three months, including the $220 cleaning fee and 13% tax. A 3-bedroom pool home priced by the night costs $7,715 for one month.
Do I pay tourist tax on a furnished rental while I look for a house?
Yes, if the stay is six months or less. Sarasota County charges a 6% tourist development tax plus 7% sales tax (6% state and 1% county surtax), 13% in total, on the rent and fees such as cleaning.
Is a rental longer than six months tax free in Sarasota?
A bona fide written lease for more than six months is exempt from sales tax and tourist tax, per the Sarasota County Tax Collector. Without a written agreement, the first six months are taxed and the seventh month onward is exempt if you stay in the same home.
When do I need a Florida driver license after moving to Sarasota?
Florida Statutes 322.031 gives you 30 days after starting a job in Florida or enrolling children in a Florida public school to get a Florida driver license if you drive here.
When can I file for homestead exemption in Sarasota County?
You must own and live in the home as your permanent residence on January 1, and apply by March 1 of that year, per the Sarasota County Property Appraiser.