Short-term rentals in Destin & Fort Walton Beach, FL: rules, lenders and rates
The local STR rule from City of Destin, FL's own page, the DSCR lenders that publish coverage in Florida, and what investors paid in Okaloosa County in 2025.
- STR status
- Registration + zoning
- Lenders in FL
- 22
- Median note rate, 2025
- 7.125%
City of Destin, FL
16 list FL · 6 licensed
126 DSCR-style loans
Short-term rental rules Registration + zoning
City of Destin, FL. Any home or condo rented for under 180 days must register as a short-term rental with the City every year. Only certain zoning districts allow STRs, and some need Conditional Use approval.
Source: cityofdestin.com · checked Oct 19, 2026
This covers only City of Destin, FL, not every town in Okaloosa County or the wider Destin & Fort Walton Beach area. Neighboring cities, the county, HOAs and condo associations can have their own rules. Check with the jurisdiction for the exact address before you go under contract.
What investors paid in Okaloosa County, 2025
- Median note rate7.125%
- Middle 50% paid (25th–75th pct)6.75%–7.5%
- DSCR-style loans126
Public HMDA records for all of Okaloosa County, including long-term rentals. Note rates at closing, not today's quotes.
DSCR math Example only
An illustrative loan, not a quote and not a typical price for Destin & Fort Walton Beach, FL: $400,000 at 75% LTV (an implied $533,333 price), 30-year amortization at the Okaloosa County 2025 median of 7.125%.
- Monthly principal & interest$2,695
- Gross monthly rent for DSCR 1.00$2,695
- Gross monthly rent for DSCR 1.25$3,369
DSCR here is rent ÷ P&I only. Taxes, insurance and HOA dues are excluded; most lenders include them, which raises the rent you need. Many lenders also discount STR income.
DSCR lenders that lend in Florida
16 lenders list Florida in their published coverage; 6 more publish only their license list, which includes FL. Coverage is statewide; whether a lender will finance a short-term rental at a specific address is up to the lender. “Not published” means the lender doesn't publish that figure.
| Lender | FL coverage | STR income method | Min DSCR | Max LTV (purchase) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Nationwide Mortgage | Yes | Either | 1.00 | 80% |
| Acra Lending | Yes | 12-month history | Not published | 75% |
| America Mortgages | Yes | Either | Not published | 80% |
| Certain Lending | Yes | Either | Not published | 75% |
| CoreVest Finance | Yes | Not published | Not published | 70% |
| Defy Mortgage | Yes | Either | 0.75 | 85% |
| Dominion Financial | Yes | Not published | Not published | 80% |
| Easy Lending USA | Yes | Either | 1.00 | 85% |
| Easy Street Capital | Yes | Either | Not published | 80% |
| Griffin Funding | Yes | Either | Not published | 85% |
| Kiavi | Yes | Not published | 0.80 | 80% |
| LendingOne | Yes | Not published | 0.75 | 80% |
| Lima One Capital | Yes | Projection | 1.30 | 75% |
| New Silver | Yes | Either | 1.15 | 80% |
| Quickline Capital | Yes | Projection | 0.75 | 80% |
| Visio Lending | Yes | Either | Not published | 85% |
| A&D Mortgage | Licensed there | Either | Not published | 80% |
| Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions | Licensed there | Projection | Not published | 85% |
| LendSure Mortgage | Licensed there | Either | 0.75 | 85% |
| Newfi Wholesale | Licensed there | Either | 1.00 | 80% |
| NQM Funding | Licensed there | 12-month history | Not published | Not published |
| theLender | Licensed there | Projection | Not published | 85% |
Figures come from each lender's own pages, with a source and check date on the lender's page. Compare more terms on the lender matcher.
More markets: all 24 STR markets · real rates by county · STR DSCR loans by state
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- A short, plain-English STR financing explainer
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Not a lender or broker. No referral fees. For education only. Figures come from each lender's public pages on the date shown and can change without notice, so verify them with the lender. Rates are estimates, not quotes. How we source data.