By Sal DiBenedetto, Licensed Real Estate Broker · The DiBe Group, brokered by eXp Realty · Updated October 2026

Who this service is for

Most of the owners we talk to in Lee and Collier counties fall into a few groups. Some bought a second home in Estero, Bonita Springs or Naples and want it earning rent in the months they are up north. Some are investors with a single-family home in Cape Coral or a condo in Fort Myers. Others inherited a property, moved for work, or are not ready to sell. A lot of them live out of state.

What they share is that they want the rent to come in, the home to be looked after, and the Florida paperwork done right, without driving to the property every time a toilet runs. Sal DiBenedetto, a licensed Florida real estate broker with The DiBe Group, brokered by eXp Realty, handles long-term and seasonal rentals across both counties. If you are weighing short stays instead, see our Airbnb and VRBO management page, or start at the property management overview.

Tenant placement vs. full management

You can hire us to find the tenant and hand you the keys, or to run the rental from start to finish. Here is what each includes.

Tenant placement

• Marketing: pricing guidance based on current local rents, listing the home, and fielding inquiries.
• Showings: in-person showings so you do not have to fly in or hand out lockbox codes to strangers.
• Screening: applications reviewed against written criteria that are applied the same way to every applicant.
• Lease signing: a Florida lease, move-in funds collected, and the keys handed over.

After move-in, you take it from there: rent collection, repairs, and the end-of-lease deposit accounting are yours.

Full management

Full management includes everything in tenant placement, plus:

• Rent collection and follow-up when rent is late.
• Maintenance coordination with vendors, and owner approval on larger repairs.
• Inspections at move-in, during the lease, and at move-out, with photos.
• Owner statements showing rent received and expenses paid.
• Non-payment handling: serving the required notices and, if it comes to eviction, coordinating with a landlord-tenant attorney.
• Seasonal furnished rentals of one to six months for snowbirds, including the tax registration that applies to them.

We do not quote a one-size fee. Request a custom management quote and we will price it around your property and the level of service you want.

SWFL rental market: what the numbers show

Rents in Southwest Florida have cooled after the 2021 to 2022 run-up. That matters when you set the asking rent, because a home priced at last year’s number can sit empty for weeks.

Naples averages run high because the city has a lot of luxury and furnished seasonal listings mixed in, so treat that figure as a ceiling, not a typical lease.

By bedroom count, average current rents in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro are about $1,456 for a one-bedroom, $2,349 for a two-bedroom, $2,388 for a three-bedroom, and $2,926 for four or more bedrooms (Rentometer, Oct 2026). In the Naples-Marco Island metro, two-bedrooms average $3,635 (Rentometer, Oct 2026).

Vacancy and new supply

HUD rates the Cape Coral-Fort Myers rental market as soft. It estimates overall rental vacancy at 16.0 percent, up from 13.0 percent in April 2020, and says that figure partly reflects the large number of seasonal and vacation units in the area (HUD Comprehensive Housing Market Analysis, May 2025). Stabilized apartment vacancy was 9.7 percent in early 2025 (HUD, citing CoStar, May 2025).

New apartments keep adding competition. RealPage reported effective asking rents in the metro down 11.1 percent year over year in March 2026, the 33rd straight month of annual declines, with about 4,800 units due to deliver in 2026 (RealPage, Apr 2026). For a single-family landlord, that means renters have choices. Condition, pricing and fast responses to inquiries decide how quickly a home leases.

Seasonality

HUD describes the area as “a popular winter tourist destination and second home location, primarily for retirees” (HUD, May 2025). In practice, that means demand for furnished one-to-six-month rentals runs through the winter, while annual leases depend more on local job moves and school calendars. Lining up lease end dates so a home does not come vacant in late summer is one of the simplest ways to cut downtime.

Florida landlord-tenant law essentials

Residential rentals in Florida are governed by Chapter 83, Part II of the Florida Statutes. This is a summary, not legal advice, but these are the rules that trip up owners most often.

Security deposits

• How it is held: in a separate Florida bank account (non-interest or interest-bearing), or backed by a surety bond. Deposits cannot be mixed with the landlord’s own money (Fla. Stat. § 83.49, 2025).
• Notice of receipt: within 30 days of receiving a deposit, landlords with five or more units must tell the tenant in writing where it is held and whether it earns interest (§ 83.49(2)).
• Return or claim: if there is no claim, return the deposit within 15 days after the lease ends. To keep any part of it, send written notice of the claim by certified mail (or email where allowed) within 30 days. Miss that deadline and you lose the right to claim against the deposit (§ 83.49(3)(a)).
• Tenant objection: the tenant has 15 days after receiving the notice to object in writing (§ 83.49(3)(b)).

Since July 1, 2023, Florida law also lets landlords offer an optional monthly fee in place of a security deposit. It must be in a signed written agreement, the tenant can switch to a regular deposit at any time, and the fee does not reduce the tenant’s responsibility for damage (Fla. Stat. § 83.491, 2025).

Notices

• 3-day notice for unpaid rent: demands payment or possession within three days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays or court-observed holidays (§ 83.56(3)).
• 7-day notice to cure: for fixable violations like an unauthorized pet or vehicle (§ 83.56(2)(b)).
• 7-day notice without cure: for serious violations such as intentional damage, or a repeat of a violation within 12 months (§ 83.56(2)(a)).
• Entry for repairs: at least 24 hours’ notice, between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (§ 83.53(2)).
• Ending a month-to-month tenancy: at least 30 days’ written notice before the end of a monthly period (§ 83.57).

Eviction timeline overview

1. The right notice is delivered and the deadline passes.
2. An eviction complaint is filed in county court and the tenant is served.
3. To raise any defense other than having paid, the tenant must deposit the rent alleged into the court registry within 5 days, excluding weekends and legal holidays. If they do not, the landlord can seek an immediate default (§ 83.60(2)).
4. After judgment, the clerk issues a writ of possession. The sheriff posts it, and the landlord gets possession after 24 hours, which weekends and holidays do not extend (§ 83.62).

Contested cases take longer. On our full-management accounts, we serve the notices and coordinate with a landlord-tenant attorney, who handles the filing.

Fair housing

The Florida Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in renting based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, familial status or religion (Fla. Stat. § 760.23). Written screening criteria applied the same way to every applicant, along with correct handling of disability accommodation requests, protect you and the applicant.

HOA and condo lease approval and rental restrictions

Much of Estero, Bonita Springs and Naples is inside an HOA or condo association, and many of those associations regulate leasing. Common rules include application and approval of the tenant before move-in, minimum lease terms, limits on how many times a year a unit can be leased, and a waiting period after purchase. Read the declaration and rules before you list. A lease signed before association approval can leave a tenant with nowhere to go.

Florida law limits how far new restrictions reach. For HOAs, an amendment adopted after July 1, 2021 that bans or limits rentals generally applies only to owners who consent or who buy after it takes effect. Associations can still adopt rules for all owners covering leases shorter than six months or limiting rentals to no more than three times a year (Fla. Stat. § 720.306(1)(h)). For condos, an amendment that bans rentals, changes the rental term, or limits how often units are rented applies only to owners who consent and to those who acquire title afterward (Fla. Stat. § 718.110(13)). If you own in a gated community, see our Estero gated communities guide.

Seasonal furnished rentals (1 to 6 months)

Snowbird rentals can earn more per month than an annual lease, but they come with tax obligations that annual leases do not.

• State sales tax: Florida’s 6% state sales tax, plus any county discretionary surtax, applies to rentals of six months or less. Rent is exempt under a bona fide written lease for continuous residence longer than six months (Florida Department of Revenue, GT-800034, Jan 2025).
• County surtax: Lee County’s discretionary surtax is 0.5%. Collier County has none listed for 2026 (Florida DOR, DR-15DSS, 2026).
• Tourist development tax: 5% in Lee County and 5% in Collier County, both collected by the county, not the state (Florida DOR, DR-15TDT, Oct 2026). Collier County placed a proposed one percent increase on the November 2026 general election ballot for voters to decide (Collier County, Aug 2026).
• Registration: anyone renting transient accommodations must register with the Department of Revenue (GT-800034).

Put together, a Lee County stay of six months or less generally carries 11.5% in combined taxes on rent, and a Collier stay carries 11% at current rates. Rentals of 30 days or more fall outside Florida’s definition of a transient public lodging establishment, which covers stays of less than 30 consecutive days (Fla. Stat. § 509.013(4)(a)). That keeps these monthly stays out of DBPR vacation-rental licensing, but the sales and tourist taxes still apply. If you are considering nightly or weekly stays, the rules change. Read our short-term rental management page before you list.

Insurance, hurricane prep and absentee owners

Once a home is rented, tell your insurance agent. A policy written for an owner-occupied home may not fit a tenant-occupied or seasonal rental, and you want liability coverage that matches how the property is used. Ask tenants to carry renters insurance for their own belongings.

Flood is separate. FEMA notes that most homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, and new National Flood Insurance Program policies have a 30-day waiting period before they take effect (FEMA, Aug 2025). Do not wait for a storm in the forecast to buy it.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with peak activity from mid-August through mid-October (Florida Division of Emergency Management, May 2026). Florida’s Insurance Consumer Advocate recommends keeping a home inventory and reviewing your policies with your agent before a storm (Florida CFO). For absentee owners, we recommend:

• A written storm plan in the lease covering shutters, outdoor furniture, and who does what.
• Dated photos of the property’s condition, kept up to date.
• Vendor contacts lined up before the season for shutters, roof tarps and water mitigation.
• A post-storm check of the property, with photos sent to you as soon as it is safe and accessible.

Owner reporting and inspections

On full management, you get statements showing rent collected and every expense paid, with invoices. Inspections are documented with photos at move-in, periodically during the lease, and at move-out. Those photos are what support a security deposit claim inside Florida’s 30-day window. Interior entries follow Florida’s 24-hour notice rule. For seasonal homes, we also check the property between stays.

To see how rent, taxes, insurance and HOA dues work out on a specific property, run it through our SWFL property investment calculator. If you are deciding between renting and selling, start with a home value estimate.

How to get started

1. Reach out. Call Sal at 239-256-5005 or send a message with the address and your goals.
2. Walkthrough. We look at the property, review your HOA or condo leasing rules, and talk through annual vs. seasonal.
3. Rent analysis and quote. You get a suggested rent range from current comparables and a custom management quote.
4. Prep. Make-ready repairs, photos, and tax registration if you are renting seasonally.
5. List and screen. Marketing, showings and screening, with association approval if required.
6. Lease and move-in. Signed lease, deposit handled under Chapter 83, and a documented move-in inspection.

Self-manage vs. tenant placement vs. full management

Long-Term Rental Management FAQ

More Property Management Resources

About the Author: Sal DiBenedetto

Sal is a licensed Florida real estate broker with The DiBe Group, brokered by eXp Realty. He lists homes on the Southwest Florida MLS and Stellar MLS and manages rental properties for owners in Lee and Collier counties. He and The DiBe Group manage long-term, seasonal and Airbnb/VRBO rentals for owners in Lee and Collier counties. More about Sal · Contact