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Can you Airbnb in Storey Lake?

A short-term rental buyer's guide to Storey Lake, off US-192 at Storey Lake Blvd, west of Florida's Turnpike.

By Paul Kim, REALTOR®, Norkis & Co Realty · Last reviewed October 29, 2026

The short answer

Yes, in most of it, but not all of it. Storey Lake sits inside Osceola County's short-term rental overlay, and the condos, The Cove, and most townhome and single-family sections allow nightly rentals. A few sections don't: current listings in Tract K (Reflections at Storey Lake) and the Phase I-2 and I-3 single-family streets require leases of 8 months or longer. Same name, same gate area, different rules. It's 9 to 20 minutes to the Disney parks and the closest of our covered resorts to Universal and the airport.

STR suitability: B (3.7 out of 5)

How suitable Storey Lake is for running a short-term rental. It is not a prediction of income. How we grade.

Zoning and the laws that apply

Zoning: Storey Lake is inside Osceola County's Short-Term Rental Overlay (LDC Exhibit 3.12.2, revised January 2025), in unincorporated Osceola County. Verified

Checked against Osceola County Short-Term Rental Overlay map (LDC Exhibit 3.12.2, Jan 2025), document revised 2025-01. Verified October 29, 2026. Zoning district code being confirmed with Osceola County Zoning (407-742-0200).

County: Storey Lake is in unincorporated Osceola County (tax district 300), with a Kissimmee address, not the City of Kissimmee. The whole community is in the Shingle Creek CDD, billed on the property tax bill. The county also bills short-term rental units a separate fire-rescue fee. Verified

Sources: Osceola County Short-Term Rental Overlay map (LDC Exhibit 3.12.2, Jan 2025) · Osceola County Tax Collector, 2025 tax bills · Osceola County CDD list

Rule	What it is	What it means for you
Osceola County zoning	Inside Osceola's Short-Term Rental Overlay (county map, January 2025). Unincorporated Osceola County.	Green lightNo county restrictions on short-term rentals here. Some sections' HOAs still prohibit them (see below). Source
HOA rules	HOAs have their own rules, separate from county and state law.	Check thisEven where the county allows short-term rentals, an HOA can restrict or ban them in its area, and can change its rules later. Check the HOA's rules before you buy. Source
Florida DBPR vacation rental license	State license required for every short-term rental.	About $230 the first year, then about $180 a year to renew. Source
Osceola County business tax receipt	County business license for your rental, issued by the Osceola Tax Collector. Applications go through zoning, environmental health, and building review.	Apply with your state license (or its application). About $30 a year, renewed July 1 to September 30. Letting it lapse can cost you your zoning approval. Source
Florida sales tax	7.5% on every stay in Osceola: 6% state sales tax plus Osceola's 1.5% county surtax.	Airbnb collects and pays this on its bookings. Direct bookings are yours to file. With the 6% tourist tax, guests pay 13.5% in total. Source
Osceola tourist development tax (6%)	County tax on short-term rentals, separate from Florida sales tax.	Check thisOsceola doesn't let booking sites collect and pay this tax for owners. You'll have to collect and pay it yourself on every booking, on every channel. Source

Costs, deadlines, and the order to file in: Florida STR licenses and taxes.

Where rentals are allowed inside Storey Lake

Section	Short-term rentals	Notes
Condos (The Terraces at Storey Lake, Paradox Cir and Clock Tower Dr)Reported	Allowed	Listings show a 1–7 day minimum stay and no association approval; one lists 'unlimited short term rental.' The county bills these units its short-term rental fire-rescue fee. Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026) · Osceola County Tax Collector, 2025 tax bills
Resort townhomes (Phases 1B-2A, 2, and 3: Clock Tower Dr, Windermere Ave, Romeo Cir, Pequod Pl and nearby)Reported	Allowed	Listings show no minimum stay or a 1–7 day minimum, private pools, and guest access to The Hideaway Club. Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)
The Cove at Storey Lake (Reading Trl and nearby, built 2023)Reported	Allowed	Listings show a 1–7 day minimum. The Cove is also named on the county's older short-term rental listing. Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026) · Osceola County STR Listing (2022)
Resort single-family homes (Kings Castle Cir, Sleepy Hollow Dr, Target Blvd, and Storey Lake II and III)Reported	Allowed	Listings show a 1–7 day minimum stay and no association approval. Includes the large 7–9 bedroom homes. Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)
Reflections at Storey Lake (Tract K townhomes: Tribute Trl, Satire St, Title St)Reported	Not allowed	Listings show a 1–2 year minimum lease, community pools only, and homestead-exempt owners. Access to The Hideaway Club (the lazy river) costs these owners an extra $100 a year. Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)
Phase I single-family (Phases I-2, I-3A, I-3B: Ballad Rd, Sequel Rd, Prelude Ln and nearby)Reported	Not allowed	Listings show an 8–12 month minimum lease and no private pools. The county bills these homes for regular residential garbage service instead of the short-term rental fire fee. Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026) · Osceola County Tax Collector, 2025 tax bills

HOA, club, and CDD fees

Section	Charge	Amount	What it covers
Condos	Condo association + HOA + resort feeReported	$859–$925 / month	Cable, internet, community pool, building and grounds, security, per listings Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026); being confirmed with ICON
Resort townhomes	HOA (all-in)Reported	$503–$545 / month	Grounds, pool maintenance, guarded gate, per listings Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026); being confirmed with ICON
The Cove	HOA (all-in)Reported	$500 / month	Guarded gate, cable, internet, maintenance, per listings Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026); being confirmed with ICON
Resort single-family	HOA (all-in)Reported	$563–$564 / month	Cable, common areas, club, security, per listings Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026); being confirmed with ICON
Reflections (Tract K)	HOAReported	$454 / month	Cable, internet, exterior maintenance, roof, lawn. Hideaway Club access is $100 a year extra. Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)
Phase I single-family	HOAReported	$248 / month	Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)
Condo (Terraces Condo No. 3)	Shingle Creek CDDVerified	$1,091.32 / year	On the property tax bill Osceola County Tax Collector, 2025 bill
Phase I-3A single-family	Shingle Creek CDDVerified	$2,145.30 / year	On the property tax bill Osceola County Tax Collector, 2025 bill
Other sections	Shingle Creek CDDReported	About $1,300–$2,600 / year	Varies by lot type; townhomes at the low end, large single-family at the high end Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)
Short-term rental units	Osceola fire-rescue fee for short-term rental unitsVerified	$300.01 / year	County assessment on the property tax bill, plus about $146 for the West 192 beautification district Osceola County Tax Collector, 2025 bill

Every Storey Lake home is in the Shingle Creek CDD. HOA amounts are from current listings and are being confirmed with the management company before we mark them verified.

Rental rules and guest access

Short-term rentals: Allowed with no minimum or a 1–7 day minimum in the condos, The Cove, and the resort townhome and single-family sections. Not allowed in Reflections (Tract K) or the Phase I-2 and I-3 single-family sections, per listings.Reported
Gate: Guarded gate on the resort side; Reflections (Tract K) is gated without a guard, per listings.Reported

Amenities

The Hideaway Club: lazy river, resort pools, waterslides, splash pad, mini golf, fitness center, sports courts, and a tiki bar (per listings)
The Bronson Club
Kayaking on the lake, playgrounds, and a dog park (per listings)
Guarded gate on the resort side

Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)

Drive times

Destination	Typical drive	Distance
Theme parks
Magic Kingdom	12–20 min	9.4 mi
EPCOT	12–20 min	8.9 mi
Hollywood Studios	9–16 min	6.3 mi
Animal Kingdom	10–18 min	8 mi
Universal Studios Florida	20–45 min	12 mi
Universal Epic Universe	20–45 min	12 mi
SeaWorld Orlando	16–40 min	8.6 mi
LEGOLAND Florida	50 min–1 hr 25 min	38.9 mi
Sports, events, and travel
ESPN Wide World of Sports	10–16 min	6.5 mi
Orange County Convention Center	16–40 min	8.6 mi
Orlando International Airport (MCO)	20–26 min	19.3 mi
Golf
Grand Cypress Golf	16–45 min	7.4 mi
Waldorf Astoria Golf Club	16–28 min	9.1 mi
Arnold Palmer's Bay Hill Club & Lodge	20–50 min	10.9 mi
Shingle Creek Golf Club	22–35 min	13.3 mi
ChampionsGate Golf Club	18–28 min	13.6 mi
Reunion Resort & Golf Club	22–30 min	13.9 mi
Providence Golf Club	26–45 min	16.2 mi
Orange County National	22–35 min	16.3 mi
Southern Dunes Golf & Country Club	30–55 min	24.7 mi
The Club at Bella Collina	45 min–1 hr	40.6 mi
Mission Resort + Club	55 min–1 hr 15 min	52 mi
Streamsong Golf Resort	1 hr 20 min–1 hr 50 min	73.2 mi
Cruise ports
Port Canaveral	55 min–1 hr 10 min	64.6 mi
Port Tampa Bay	1 hr 5 min–1 hr 25 min	70.7 mi
PortMiami	3 hr 10 min–4 hr 10 min	224 mi
Beaches and day trips
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex	1 hr–1 hr 15 min	62.8 mi
Cocoa Beach Pier	1 hr–1 hr 20 min	66.9 mi
Daytona Beach Boardwalk	1 hr 20 min–2 hr	78.7 mi
Clearwater Beach (Pier 60)	1 hr 40 min–2 hr 30 min	94.8 mi
Cities
Downtown Tampa	1 hr 5 min–1 hr 25 min	71.1 mi
Downtown Miami	3 hr 10 min–4 hr 20 min	223 mi

Measured on Google Maps from Storey Lake Clubhouse (4715 Kings Castle Circle): fastest route, typical traffic, departing Tuesday 10:00 AM. Measured October 29, 2026.

What goes wrong in Storey Lake

The mistakes that cost owners here money, and how to avoid them.

Buying in a section that bans nightly rentals

All of Storey Lake is inside the county's short-term rental overlay, so the county isn't the problem. The HOA is. Current listings in Reflections (Tract K) and the Phase I-2 and I-3 single-family streets require leases of 8 months to 2 years, and those homes often list for less than the rentable ones a few streets away. A search for 'Storey Lake' returns both. Check the section's lease rules before you make an offer.

Sources: Osceola County Short-Term Rental Overlay map (LDC Exhibit 3.12.2, Jan 2025) · Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)

Missing the county's short-term rental fees on the tax bill

Osceola bills short-term rental units a fire-rescue fee of about $300 a year, plus about $146 for the West 192 beautification district, on top of the CDD. They don't show up in HOA figures, so budget from the actual tax bill, not the listing's tax line alone.

Sources: Osceola County Tax Collector, 2025 tax bills

Assuming Airbnb pays the tourist tax

In Osceola County it doesn't. The county is not contracted with Airbnb, VRBO, or any booking platform for its 6% tourist development tax, so the owner or manager has to collect and remit it on every booking.

Sources: Osceola County Tax Collector

Underestimating condo costs

Storey Lake condos have the lowest prices in the community and the highest monthly fees: about $860 to $925 a month in association fees, plus the CDD. Run the numbers on the fees, not the price.

Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026)

Flood zone surprises

Some Storey Lake lots, including parts of The Cove and Phase I-3A, are in FEMA flood zone AE, which usually means required flood insurance with a mortgage. Check the specific lot's flood zone before you make an offer.

Sources: Stellar MLS listing data (Oct 2026) · FEMA Flood Map Service Center

Competing with near-identical homes

Storey Lake was built out by one builder in a few years, so hundreds of rentals share the same floor plans, the same club, and the same photos. The ones that stand out are built around a specific trip, not a decor theme.

Letting the county business license lapse

Osceola ties your rental's zoning approval to your short-term rental business tax receipt. The receipt costs about $30 a year and renews between July 1 and September 30.

Sources: Osceola County Tax Collector

Rules can change after you buy

Florida law lets an HOA amend its rules to prohibit rentals shorter than six months, or to cap rentals at three per year, and that kind of amendment applies to every owner, including people who bought before the vote.

Sources: Fla. Stat. 720.306(1)(h)

What trip it suits, and what could stand out

Storey Lake is the split-the-week resort: close to Disney, and the closest of our covered resorts to Universal, SeaWorld, the convention center, and the airport. Its water-park-style club makes the resort itself part of the trip.

Trips it fits

Disney-and-Universal trips: 9–20 minutes to the Disney parks and 20–45 to Universal and Epic Universe
Families with younger kids who want a pool day at the lazy river between park days
Large multi-family groups in the 7–9 bedroom homes
Short trips with a quick airport run: MCO is 20–26 minutes away

Concepts that could stand out

The two-resort trip: built around splitting the week between Disney and Universal, with park-day logistics for both
The rest-day home: built around the days between parks, with the Hideaway Club, the private pool, and easy family meals
The reunion house: a 7–9 bedroom home set up for several families at once, with shared space and private retreats

Why the concept matters more than the community: Concept, not theme.

What homes like these charge

We don't publish occupancy or income for individual communities. What a rental earns depends far more on its concept, its execution, and its location within the community than on the community's name.

How we scored Storey Lake

Criterion	Score	Why
Regulatory certainty	4/5	Inside the county's short-term rental overlay, and most sections allow nightly rentals. A few sections' HOAs prohibit them, so the section matters.
HOA rental friendliness	4/5	No minimum or a 1–7 day minimum and no association approval on the resort side, per listings.
Cost burden	2/5	CDD of about $1,100–$2,600 a year, a $300 county short-term rental fire fee, and HOA fees of about $500–$925 a month.
Guest draw	5/5	A water-park-style club with a lazy river, waterslides, and mini golf.
Location	5/5	9–20 minutes to the Disney parks, 20–45 to Universal, and 20–26 to MCO.
Competition & differentiation	2/5	Hundreds of near-identical rentals from one builder; differentiation has to come from the home.

Weighted per our published rubric. Overall 3.7/5 → B.

Homes for sale in Storey Lake

Want the current list, filtered to the villages that actually allow short-term rentals?

I'll send it, with the HOA and CDD numbers for each.