Help with setting up a Legal Miami Beach Vacation Rental

[Jerome Joseph Gainer Jr]

Hi All,

Many thanks in advance to anyone who may be able to help with this question.  I have purchased a vacation rental in Miami Beach and have heard that the city of Miami Beach is cracking down on unlicensed rental properties.  I have heard that they have upped the fine for first time offenders to $20,000.  Because I intend to list my rental on Airbnb, I want to make sure that I am complying with all local and state laws.  However, it has been very confusing to me to try and determine exactly what I need to do and in what order.  So far, what I have done is:

1) Applied for a Miami Beach Resort License - This was denied apparently because I had not applied for a certificate of use license

2) Applied for a State of Florida Tax Registration - This was accepted

3) Applied for a Miami Beach Certificate of Use/Business Tax Application - Waiting for word back

4) Applied for a State Vacation Rental License (DBPR-HR-7028) - Waiting for word back

5) I still need to apply for a balcony inspection license (DBPR-HR-7020) - I'm trying to find a balcony inspector... I'm hoping that a structural engineering company can come out and do it.

My question is this:  Has anyone gone through this process?  If so, I would love to chat with you and ask you some questions around how you filled out the forms.  Also, did you have to do anything else?

Bottom line is that I am trying to do this by the book and wonder if anyone else has gone through this process.