Can You Rent Your Home in Holley by the Sea?

Yes—Holley by the Sea clearly allows homes to be rented in at least some circumstances.

The Holley by the Sea Improvement Association specifically states that a person who rents a home in Holley by the Sea can use the private common facilities when the property owner transfers the home's usage rights to the renter. The association also maintains a public “Transfer of Usage” document for owners and renters.

That makes the answer straightforward for traditional residential rentals:

Long-term leasing is contemplated within Holley by the Sea.

The answer becomes more complicated if you mean:

“Can I Airbnb or short-term rent my Holley by the Sea home?”

For that, do not assume every property has identical rental rights.

Holley by the Sea Rental Rules at a Glance

Rental Question	What Owners Should Know
Can a Holley by the Sea home be rented?	Yes, rentals clearly exist and the association has a process for renter amenity access
Can renters use the recreation center?	Potentially, when the owner properly transfers usage rights
Are long-term leases possible?	Yes
Are short-term rentals automatically allowed everywhere?	Do not assume so
Should you rely on an Airbnb listing nearby?	No
Who controls HOA rental restrictions?	Current recorded governing documents and applicable association rules
Florida vacation-rental license	May be required for qualifying whole-home STR use
Santa Rosa County tourist tax	5% TDT for qualifying stays of 6 months or less
State/local sales tax	Currently another 7% according to the county clerk
Biggest mistake	Assuming every parcel or section has the same rental rules

1. Holley by the Sea Officially Recognizes Renters

This is the clearest starting point.

The association's current facilities page says Holley by the Sea is private and that access requires either:

• Owning eligible property within Holley by the Sea, or

• Renting a Holley by the Sea home whose owner transfers usage rights to the renter.

The association's public document portal also includes a specific Transfer of Usage form.

That tells us something important:

Renting a Holley by the Sea home is not inherently prohibited by the association structure.

There are also current long-term rental listings within the community. For example, a September 2026 listing for a Holley by the Sea home advertised a 12-month lease.

So if your question is:

“Can I buy a home in Holley by the Sea and later lease it to a tenant?”

the answer is generally yes, subject to the exact property documents and lease requirements.

2. Amenity Access Does Not Automatically Transfer With the Keys

Holley by the Sea has a substantial private recreation package.

The current association facilities include:

• Lap pool

• Family pool

• Baby pool

• Eight clay tennis courts

• Weight room

• Cardio equipment

• Basketball

• Volleyball

• Ball field

• Event space

• RV and tent campground

• Youth programming

A tenant does not simply become a public member because they rent a house nearby.

The owner has to transfer the applicable usage rights.

That distinction matters when advertising a rental.

Do not market:

“Full Holley by the Sea amenities included”

until you understand:

• Whether you intend to transfer the rights

• What association paperwork is required

• Which tenant names need to be registered

• The applicable current association procedures

If amenity access is a major reason a tenant would choose the property, verify the process directly with the association before advertising it.

3. Short-Term Rentals Need More Careful Verification

This is where the answer stops being a simple yes.

Current MLS-derived data for Holley by the Sea is not uniform.

For example, a September 2026 Holley by the Sea listing displayed “Short Term Rental – Allowed.”

Meanwhile, current listing data for Hidden Creek Estates at Holley by the Sea shows “Short Term Rental – Not Allowed.” Hidden Creek also has its own separate declaration documents in the association's public governing-document repository.

That is an important warning.

Do not interpret:

“Holley by the Sea”

as meaning:

“Every property can be rented nightly or weekly.”

Your exact:

• Parcel

• Legal description

• Section

• Recorded covenants

• Association rules

can matter.

Do Not Rely on the MLS Checkbox Alone

A listing saying “Short Term Rental Allowed” is useful information.

It is not a substitute for reviewing the governing documents.

Likewise, the fact that you can find active vacation-rental advertisements in Holley by the Sea does not prove another property has identical rights.

Rental rights should be verified before purchase if investment use is part of your plan.

4. Florida HOA Law Can Affect New Rental Restrictions

Florida law also matters.

Under current Florida Statute 720.306, an HOA governing document or amendment adopted after July 1, 2021 that regulates rentals generally applies to owners who acquire title after the amendment or owners who consent to it.

But there is an important exception.

An HOA may adopt restrictions involving:

• Rental terms of less than six months

• Renting a parcel more than three times per calendar year

and those restrictions can apply more broadly to owners.

This is one reason a buyer intending to operate a short-term rental should review:

the documents that apply to that particular parcel + when the relevant restrictions were adopted.

Do not rely only on what the previous owner did.

5. A Vacation Rental May Need a Florida DBPR License

If you intend to rent the entire house on a transient basis, Florida licensing requirements may apply.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation says a whole dwelling generally requires vacation-rental licensing when it is rented more than three times per calendar year for periods shorter than 30 days or one calendar month, or when it is regularly advertised for that type of transient rental.

A Holley by the Sea detached house would generally fall under the state's Vacation Rental – Dwelling classification when the qualifying rules apply.

So an owner's checklist for a nightly or weekly rental may include:

HOA eligibility + state licensing + taxes + insurance + financing.

Simply listing the home on Airbnb does not complete those steps.

6. Santa Rosa County Has a 5% Tourist Development Tax

Holley by the Sea is in Santa Rosa County.

The county currently imposes a 5% Tourist Development Tax on qualifying transient rental income.

Santa Rosa County defines taxable short-term rentals for this purpose as stays of six months or less and specifically includes single-family houses.

The county also says:

• Owners or operators must register applicable short-term rentals

• TDT is generally reported monthly

• The 5% county TDT is in addition to the current 7% state/local sales tax

• Airbnb and Vrbo currently do not remit Santa Rosa County TDT on the owner's behalf

That means the current combined tax referenced by the Clerk is:

5% Santa Rosa County TDT + 7% state/local sales tax = 12%

for applicable taxable rentals.

A property manager may handle some of this, but owners should verify exactly who is responsible for registration, collection, filing, and remittance.

7. Long-Term Rentals Are Different From Vacation Rentals

A traditional residential lease is much simpler from a tourist-tax perspective.

Santa Rosa County says revenue from a bona fide written residential lease for more than six months is exempt from its Tourist Development Tax.

That creates an important distinction:

Traditional Long-Term Rental

Think:

• 12-month tenant

• Normal residential lease

• Potential transfer of HBTS recreation rights

• No vacation turnover every week

Short-Term / Vacation Rental

Think:

• Nightly or weekly guests

• Potential Florida vacation-rental licensing

• Tourist Development Tax

• State/local sales tax

• More careful HOA restriction analysis

• Rental-specific insurance

• More operational management

Do not lump the two strategies together simply because both involve a renter.

8. Hidden Creek Deserves Extra Attention

Holley by the Sea is large, and buyers sometimes use the community name broadly.

But Hidden Creek Estates at Holley by the Sea has separate recorded governing documents listed by the association.

Current MLS-derived data also shows Hidden Creek listings labeled differently for short-term-rental eligibility than some other Holley by the Sea properties.

That is exactly why the correct question is:

“What rental restrictions apply to this parcel?”

not:

“What does Holley by the Sea allow?”

Two properties using the Holley by the Sea name may not have an identical document stack.

9. Do Not Assume an Existing Airbnb Proves You Can Do the Same Thing

There are currently online vacation-rental advertisements describing homes as being in Holley by the Sea.

That shows short stays are occurring in the broader community.

It does not establish legal or HOA eligibility for a different house.

The neighboring property could have:

• Different recorded restrictions

• Different ownership history

• A different section or sub-association

• Different grandfathered rights

• Different approvals

• Or simply an inaccurate rental operation

Use nearby Airbnb listings to research the rental market, not to determine your legal rental rights.

10. Rental Insurance Should Match the Actual Use

If the property will be tenant-occupied, tell your insurance professional.

If it will operate as a vacation rental, say that specifically.

The correct insurance structure may differ from what you would purchase for an owner-occupied primary residence.

Relevant questions can include:

• Landlord coverage

• Short-term-rental use

• Liability

• Pool exposure

• Property furnishings

• Guest damage

• Wind coverage

• Flood coverage

This should be investigated before making rental income central to your purchase calculation.

11. Financing Needs to Match Your Plan Too

How you plan to use the property can affect financing.

There is a meaningful difference between purchasing as a:

• Primary residence

• Second home

• Investment property

If your real plan is to operate the home primarily as a rental, discuss that clearly with your lender.

A property's ability to generate rent does not mean every mortgage program treats the property the same way.

What Should an Owner Check Before Renting?

Before putting a Holley by the Sea property on the rental market, verify:

1. The exact legal subdivision and parcel

2. Current HBTS governing documents

3. Any additional sub-association documents

4. Minimum lease term, if any

5. Rental-frequency restrictions

6. Whether STR use is permitted for that parcel

7. The current Transfer of Usage process

8. Whether you will transfer recreation rights

9. Tenant registration requirements

10. Current HOA dues and account status

11. Florida DBPR licensing if doing transient rentals

12. Santa Rosa County TDT registration

13. Florida sales-tax obligations

14. Landlord or vacation-rental insurance

15. Mortgage requirements

16. Parking and occupancy practicalities

17. Property management costs

18. Whether rental income still works after actual expenses

Can a Tenant Use the Holley by the Sea Recreation Center?

Potentially, yes.

The association currently says renters can use the private common facilities when they rent a Holley by the Sea property whose owner transfers the applicable usage rights.

That is a meaningful rental feature because the recreation center covers about 48 acres and includes pools, tennis, fitness, sports facilities, event space and other amenities.

But owners should complete the required process rather than promise amenity access informally.

Can You Airbnb a Home in Holley by the Sea?

Possibly—but verify the exact property before buying or advertising it.

Current listing information indicates that short-term rental treatment can differ within properties associated with the broader Holley by the Sea community.

If the exact parcel permits transient rentals, the owner may then have additional requirements involving:

• Florida DBPR licensing

• Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Tax

• Florida sales tax

• Insurance

• Association procedures

That is a very different answer from saying:

“Holley by the Sea allows Airbnb.”

The second statement is too broad.

FAQs

Can you rent out a home in Holley by the Sea?

Yes. The association expressly recognizes renters and provides a process through which owners can transfer recreation-facility usage rights to eligible renters.

Can you do a 12-month lease in Holley by the Sea?

Traditional residential rentals exist within Holley by the Sea, including current listings offering 12-month leases. Owners should still review the governing documents applying to their individual parcel.

Are short-term rentals allowed in Holley by the Sea?

Do not assume a blanket yes or no. Current MLS-derived property data shows different STR designations among properties associated with Holley by the Sea, and some areas such as Hidden Creek have additional governing documents. Verify the exact parcel before relying on short-term rental use.

Can renters use the Holley by the Sea amenities?

Potentially. The association says a renter can use the common facilities when the property owner transfers usage rights to the renter.

Does an Airbnb in Holley by the Sea need a Florida license?

For qualifying whole-home transient rentals, Florida DBPR generally requires a Vacation Rental – Dwelling license when the statutory licensing threshold is met.

Is there a tourist tax on short-term rentals in Navarre?

Yes. Santa Rosa County currently charges a 5% Tourist Development Tax on applicable stays of six months or less. The Clerk states that an additional 7% state/local sales tax also applies, for a current total of 12% on applicable rental charges.

Does Airbnb remit Santa Rosa County's 5% tourist tax automatically?

The Santa Rosa County Clerk currently says no. Airbnb and Vrbo do not remit the county TDT on behalf of property owners, so owners or their authorized managers need to confirm collection and filing responsibilities.

Final Thoughts

So, can you rent your home in Holley by the Sea?

Yes.

Traditional residential rentals are clearly contemplated by the association, and renters can potentially receive access to the community amenities through the association's transfer process.

For a long-term lease, the path is generally much more straightforward.

For a short-term or vacation rental, slow down and verify the individual property.

Check:

parcel + governing documents + sub-association + rental term rules + Florida licensing + taxes + insurance.

The biggest mistake would be buying a property because:

“I saw Airbnbs in Holley by the Sea.”

A better approach is:

“Show me, in the documents that apply to this property, exactly what rental use is permitted.”

For more community information, read Living in Holley by the Sea: What Buyers Should Know, What Amenities Are Included in Holley by the Sea?, and 7 Reasons to Consider an HOA Community Near Navarre.

Emerald Group, Brokered by LPT Realty helps residential buyers compare Holley by the Sea and other Navarre properties based on HOA documents, rental plans, property condition, insurance, and total ownership costs.

You can browse current Emerald Coast listings or contact Emerald Group to evaluate the rental rules attached to a specific property before buying.