Palm Beach County 180 Day Delistings

Brian1613
Level 10
West Palm Beach, FL

Palm Beach County 180 Day Delistings

Has anyone else been delisted because it is saying that you have to comply with the county’s minimum stay at 180 days? It hit me a few days ago.

 

I am getting NO HELP from Airbnb, and I have no idea what is going on.

 

The county says, with a Tourist Development Tax number, I can book 2 days to 180 days max., not minimum.  Airbnb forwards it to some “escalation” office that will only speak to you by email, and is in no rush to get a hold of you. I’m on day three of calling.

 

Anyone experiencing this problem?

Brian Ross
37 Replies 37
Corrie34
Level 1
Lake Worth, FL

Still no luck here. What a freaking run around and during high season! Mad furious over this! Come on BNB get your sh*t together!

See my note from  02.25

Brian Ross

Are you still waiting?

Lena92
Level 2
West Palm Beach, FL

OMG I am in the same sinking boat!!!! Has anyone got help that they can share??? 

 

Yes. I got more information. Please see my update on 02.25.20.

Brian Ross
Gray0
Level 5
Boca Raton, FL

Is this blockade just for Boca Raton, or is it all cities in Palm Beach County?

I believe it is all 

Marielbys0
Level 2
Florida, United States

in jupiter also

Tina6511
Level 1
Lake Worth, FL

On week number two same situation.  Should be resolved in 48 hours, allow 48 hours, please check back in 48 hours.. Weeks now!! Each customer service rep agrees we have everything. Went to Palm Beach County office and they said they actually had a department meeting because they were getting slammed with phone calls. Each time I call Airbnb its like 50 first dates and starting over. Extremely frustrating!! Positive thoughts to you all!!! 

I’m on week three. See what I found out in the post following. 

Brian Ross
Brian1613
Level 10
West Palm Beach, FL

OK all: Here is what I’ve found out, and what you can do:

Airbnb’s Palm Beach County Page is wrong.  You don’t need a Tourist Development Tax (TDT) and BTR (Your City’s Business Tax Receipt.)  You need the TDT and the County’s LBTR.  

 

The county, amazingly, does not require an LBTR to get your TDT filed.  If you have your city’s BTR listed on your Airbnb account, CHANGE IT to the County LBTR. Don’t have one? You can go to the Tourist Development Tax Office in West Palm Beach, 3rd Floor, and file for one. 

Licenses and Permits:  

 

In addition,  you had best make sure that ALL of your licensure, and inspections, are in order.  You will need, if you have not got them:

1. A County LBTR (Business Tax Receipt Number) - You need one unique to your vacation rental.  If you have a county LBTR for another business, or home-based business, that will NOT cut it.;

 

2. Your Palm Beach County Tourist Development Tax (TDT) number.  You have to pay your tourist development taxes, 6%, yourself. Please see my other post about how to set up Airbnb to collect those through the Community Fees area, so they’re not coming out of your pocket. AIRBNB PAYS THE STATE TAX, BUT DOES NOT PAY the TDT in Palm Beach County. That is your responsibility to report, and pay, monthly. There are fines. You may owe quite a bit already in them. 

 

3. You must have a Vacation Rental license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (https://www.myfloridalicense.com/CheckListDetail.asp?SID=&xactCode=1030&clientCode=2006&XACT_DEFN_ID... );

 

4. After you get your DBPR, you can apply for your City Business Tax Receipt (BTR).  
     West Palm Beach rules:
        •  Pay the fee;

        •  Schedule an inspection of the property with the City Code Compliance inspectors. DO make sure that you have fire extinguishers, and that they are stored

           securely visibly, or a marking of their location, in a cabinet, etc., in your rentals;

        • If this is a new vacation rental, you will need to contact the Zoning Department for inspection/approval;

 

5. If you are in a community with covenants, you may need additional permissions, and/or verifications with your City to get your city’s  BTR. 

 

6. If there is something that you may sell, which includes things sold at “experiences,” then you also need to file for a sales tax number, and report your sales monthly, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE ZERO.  Do NOT host experiences on your property. You can wander about, take people on tours, but your Vacation Rental cannot host them on-site.

Once you have all of that paperwork:

1. On your listing, insure that your Airbnb account has the correct tax numbers in the right sequence: TDT, LBTR (ex: 000195851,40020190009);

2. File for reinstatement here:  If you've already confirmed with Palm Beach County that your TDT & BTR numbers are current, then please ensure you submit a request for Reactivation, for each listing separately, here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCUxpBnQPMxumXzAet51n3HhDuTAoZ9Y6djE_e4_waKHn6jg/viewform

Then they go back, and review your files. They have up to 14 days to then reinstate you. I landmined because I had the BTR, not the LBTR in the form. They got back to me, on the last day, and told me to go to the County to find out why the records didn’t show my number active. That’s when the TDT gal let me know about the LBTR (County). 

 

The Airbnb Tax Department has no phones. Will not talk to any of us, other than by email, which they do SLOWLY. 

 

When I called support, today, I was told that the other problem is that the 180 “glitch” is a manual fix. They have to override for each person messed up with it. Uh-huh. That will take time. 

Beyond that, I would call Airbnb Support, and ask where you can email a copy of ALL OF YOUR VALID LICENSES. Ask them to forward that to the Tax Department. That is legan proof that you are operating correctly. 

 

DO NOT DUMP YOUR FILE AND START OVER. If you don’t fill it out correctly, as outlined, you will be right back in the same jackpot.

 

This is destroying all of our businesses.  Please let us all know when you get restored, and if there is something else that needs to be done.

Brian Ross
Brian1613
Level 10
West Palm Beach, FL

OK all: Here is what I’ve found out, and what you can do:

Airbnb’s Palm Beach County Page is wrong.  You don’t need a Tourist Development Tax (TDT) and BTR (Your City’s Business Tax Receipt.)  You need the TDT and the County’s LBTR.  

 

The county, amazingly, does not require an LBTR to get your TDT filed.  If you have your city’s BTR listed on your Airbnb account, CHANGE IT to the County LBTR. Don’t have one? You can go to the Tourist Development Tax Office in West Palm Beach, 3rd Floor, and file for one. 

Licenses and Permits:  

 

In addition,  you had best make sure that ALL of your licensure, and inspections, are in order.  You will need, if you have not got them:

1. A County LBTR (Business Tax Receipt Number) - You need one unique to your vacation rental.  If you have a county LBTR for another business, or home-based business, that will NOT cut it.;

 

2. Your Palm Beach County Tourist Development Tax (TDT) number.  You have to pay your tourist development taxes, 6%, yourself. Please see my other post about how to set up Airbnb to collect those through the Community Fees area, so they’re not coming out of your pocket. AIRBNB PAYS THE STATE TAX, BUT DOES NOT PAY the TDT in Palm Beach County. That is your responsibility to report, and pay, monthly. There are fines. You may owe quite a bit already in them. 

 

3. You must have a Vacation Rental license from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation;

 

4. After you get your DBPR, you can apply for your City Business Tax Receipt (BTR).  
     West Palm Beach rules:
        •  Pay the fee;

        •  Schedule an inspection of the property with the City Code Compliance inspectors. DO make sure that you have fire extinguishers, and that they are stored

           securely visibly, or a marking of their location, in a cabinet, etc., in your rentals;

        • If this is a new vacation rental, you will need to contact the Zoning Department for inspection/approval;

 

5. If you are in a community with covenants, you may need additional permissions, and/or verifications with your City to get your city’s  BTR. 

 

6. If there is something that you may sell, which includes things sold at “experiences,” then you also need to file for a sales tax number, and report your sales monthly, EVEN WHEN THEY ARE ZERO.  Do NOT host experiences on your property. You can wander about, take people on tours, but your Vacation Rental cannot host them on-site.

Once you have all of that paperwork:

1. On your listing, insure that your Airbnb account has the correct tax numbers in the right sequence: TDT, LBTR (ex: 000195851,40020190009);

2. File for reinstatement here:  If you've already confirmed with Palm Beach County that your TDT & BTR numbers are current, then please ensure you submit a request for Reactivation, for each listing separately. Get the link from them. They don’t like links in these things. 

Then they go back, and review your files. They have up to 14 days to then reinstate you. I landmined because I had the BTR, not the LBTR in the form. They got back to me, on the last day, and told me to go to the County to find out why the records didn’t show my number active. That’s when the TDT gal let me know about the LBTR (County). 

 

The Airbnb Tax Department has no phones. Will not talk to any of us, other than by email, which they do SLOWLY. 

 

When I called support, today, I was told that the other problem is that the 180 “glitch” is a manual fix. They have to override for each person messed up with it. Uh-huh. That will take time. 

Beyond that, I would call Airbnb Support, and ask where you can email a copy of ALL OF YOUR VALID LICENSES. Ask them to forward that to the Tax Department. That is legan proof that you are operating correctly. 

 

DO NOT DUMP YOUR FILE AND START OVER. If you don’t fill it out correctly, as outlined, you will be right back in the same jackpot.

 

This is destroying all of our businesses.  Please let us all know when you get restored, and if there is something else that needs to be done.

Brian Ross
Gray0
Level 5
Boca Raton, FL

Flash! I just got an email saying to the effect I'm re-listed. Using only my BTR and TDT numbers as previously registered. I do not have any other permits. I checked the site and my rental now appears visible. However, due to this fiasco I am now leaning toward long term rentals, no more Airbnb if I find a long term tenant.

How long did it take for you to get help? I’m in the same boat. Went down to Tax Office, was missing the LBTR but had everything else. I’m considering the same thing. This stress isn’t worth the few extra dollars per month. 

Do what I did. Get the LBTR.  You have to have the County write you a letter, saying you were recently added. Since most of them don’t require an LBTR to get a Tourist Development Tax license, Airbnb’s current system of using the “Reactivated” list isn’t possible. The tax authority can’t “reactivate” your listing if you never had an LBTR.  The Airbnb tax department is DEFINITELY not hip to this. So find someone who liaisons with Airbnb at your tax office, or ask the person at the front to do so. Then get them to send an “add” not “reactivated” confirmation to the Airbnb tax office. That will fix it. Slowly. Sorry.

Brian Ross