Glossary
The language of South Florida seasonal leasing.
A
A1A (State Road A1A)
The coastal highway running along the barrier island through Highland Beach and oceanfront Boca and Delray, lined with oceanfront communities.
Annual lease
A year-round, usually 12-month unfurnished lease, distinct from a seasonal rental and exempt from transient rental tax.
Association approval
The review an association conducts before a tenant may lease and occupy a unit, which can include an application, screening, a fee, an interview, and board sign-off.
B
Background and credit check
The criminal, credit, and rental-history screening run on a prospective tenant as part of lease approval.
Boca Raton
An affluent city in southern Palm Beach County known for luxury oceanfront condominiums, gated country-club communities, and a strong seasonal-rental market.
Bona fide written lease
A genuine signed written lease for continuous residence. To exempt a stay from transient tax it must be in place before occupancy; a lease signed after move-in will not qualify.
Booking window (when to book)
The lead time needed to secure a seasonal rental. For the winter season the best inventory is often leased six to twelve months ahead, with searching starting in late summer.
Bylaws
The rules for how an association operates and makes decisions, including lease-approval procedures.
C
Capital contribution
A one-time payment to an association reserve, usually collected at purchase rather than from tenants.
Concierge
On-site or service-level staff assisting residents with deliveries, reservations, and requests, common in luxury buildings. The Seasonal King also pairs every search with a licensed concierge.
Condominium association
The governing body of a condominium under Florida Statute Chapter 718, which administers shared property and commonly approves leases.
Confidence tier
The Intelligent Engine labeling for minimum-stay accuracy: Verified when confirmed against the community, As listed when reflecting the MLS field, and Term not confirmed when shown as a range.
Country-club community
A gated, amenity-rich community built around a private golf, tennis, and clubhouse club, where club access, membership rules, and leasing restrictions vary widely.
D
Declaration (condo docs)
The recorded governing document that creates a condominium and sets owner rights and restrictions, including leasing rules.
Deeded / private beach access
A legal right attached to the community to reach and use a section of beach via a private walkway, tunnel, or club, rather than public access points.
Deep-water dock (dockage)
A private or community dock able to accommodate larger vessels, often marketed as deep-water or ocean-access, with slip availability a common question.
Delray Beach
A coastal Palm Beach County city known for its walkable downtown on Atlantic Avenue, beaches, and a mix of oceanfront and in-town seasonal rentals.
Direct oceanfront
A unit facing the ocean with unobstructed views, distinguished from ocean-view or ocean-access units set back from the beach.
Discretionary sales surtax
An optional county surtax that may apply on top of the state sales tax and Tourist Development Tax, depending on the county and year.
E
Equity vs. non-equity membership
An equity membership carries an ownership interest in the club, often partly refundable; a non-equity membership grants access without ownership.
Estoppel certificate
A signed statement from an association listing assessments and amounts owed on a unit, most often used in a sale, with its fee capped by Florida statute.
F
Florida sales tax on transient rentals
Florida imposes a 6 percent state sales tax on transient rental charges for stays of six months or less, collected from the tenant.
Florida Statute 718.112
The section of Florida Condominium Act governing association bylaws and powers, including approving leases and charging a screening fee and security deposit within statutory limits.
Furnished (turnkey) rental
A home leased fully furnished and equipped so a tenant can move in with only personal belongings. Nearly all seasonal rentals are turnkey.
G
Gated community
A community with controlled vehicle access through a gate, often with a guard or callbox, offering privacy and security.
Guard-gated
A gated community staffed by security at the entrance, a step above an unmanned gate.
H
Highland Beach
A small oceanfront town between Delray Beach and Boca Raton, made up largely of oceanfront and Intracoastal condominium communities, several with private beach clubs.
HOA fee (monthly assessment)
The recurring dues owners pay for shared costs such as security, landscaping, amenities, insurance, and reserves, which shape what a seasonal rental includes.
Holdover tenancy
When a tenant stays past the lease end. Seasonal leases typically prohibit this because the home is often committed to another season or owner use.
Homeowners association (HOA)
The governing body of a community that enforces covenants, collects assessments, and often controls leasing and approval.
I
Intracoastal
A property on or facing the Intracoastal Waterway rather than the ocean, often with boat dockage and protected water.
Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)
The protected inland channel running the length of Florida east coast, separating the barrier island from the mainland.
L
Lease rider (addendum)
An attachment to the lease incorporating community rules on pets, parking, occupancy, and amenities that the tenant must follow.
Lease term
The length of the tenancy stated in the lease, which drives both community eligibility and Florida tax treatment.
Leasing restriction (rental cap)
Association rules limiting leasing, such as a minimum term, a maximum number of leases per unit per year, or a cap on the share of units leased at once.
Licensed REALTOR®
The licensed real-estate professional who represents the lease and is accountable for it. The Seasonal King pairs every search with a licensed agent who confirms terms and manages the transaction.
M
Mandatory membership
A requirement in some country-club communities that owners join the club, adding initiation and dues costs; others are optional or non-mandatory.
Minimum lease term (minimum stay)
The shortest lease a community allows, set by its association. Common minimums are 30, 60, or 90 days; many luxury and country-club communities require 90 days or more.
Minimum ownership period before leasing
A restriction requiring an owner to hold a unit for a set time, often one or two years, before leasing it, which is why some newly purchased units cannot be rented immediately.
Minimum-stay band
The normalized buckets the Engine sorts listings into, of 90, 120, 150, and 180 plus days, so renters can filter by the true commitment length.
MLS
The Multiple Listing Service, the shared database of listings. Seasonal rentals often carry a raw MLS minimum-term field that is not always verified against community rules.
Move-in fee
A fee some associations charge to process a new occupant and manage elevator or loading logistics.
N
No cost to the renter
The Seasonal King model in which the licensed concierge confirms the true minimum-stay term and handles the lease at no fee to the renter, because the commission is paid on the ownership side.
No fixed bridges (ocean access)
A designation meaning a boat can reach the ocean without passing under a low fixed bridge, valuable for larger yachts.
O
Occupancy
The number of people permitted to live in a leased home, often limited by the lease and association rules.
Oceanfront
A property or community directly on the Atlantic, typically with direct beach access and ocean views, the most sought-after seasonal category.
Off-season (shoulder season)
The lower-demand months of roughly May through October, with lower rates and more availability.
P
Palm Beach County
The Florida county encompassing Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Highland Beach, which levies the 6 percent Tourist Development Tax on transient rentals.
Pet policy (pet-friendly)
A community rules on animals, including whether pets are allowed, how many, and size or breed limits, and whether policies differ for tenants and owners.
Private beach club
A community oceanfront facility with cabanas, dining, pool, and beach service reserved for residents, a marquee amenity in Highland Beach and oceanfront Boca.
Proof of funds
Documentation showing a tenant can afford the lease, sometimes requested for high-value seasonal rentals.
R
Rental application
The tenant formal request to lease, submitted to the landlord and usually the association, with personal, financial, and background information.
Right of first refusal
A provision letting an association match or approve a proposed lease or sale before it is finalized, giving the community control over occupancy.
Rules and regulations
The day-to-day community rules on pets, parking, amenities, and guests that bind tenants during a stay.
S
Screening (application) fee
A fee an association may charge to process a tenant application and background check, capped per applicant, with a couple or dependents treated as one applicant.
Season (high season)
The peak demand window, roughly November through April, with January to March the most competitive. Prime inventory leases months ahead.
Seasonal lease
The written agreement governing a seasonal rental, setting the term, rent, deposit, and community rules. Unlike a nightly booking it is a bona fide lease with tax and approval implications.
Seasonal rental
A furnished home leased for part of the year rather than year-round, typically for the South Florida winter season. In Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and Highland Beach these commonly run 30, 60, or 90 days up to eight months.
Security deposit
A refundable sum held against damage or unpaid rent. Seasonal leases commonly require first, last, and a security deposit, plus any separate association deposit.
Security deposit (association)
A deposit an association may collect, up to a statutory limit generally of one month rent, to cover damage to common elements, separate from the landlord deposit.
Six-month rule
Florida dividing line: a stay of six months or less is a taxable transient rental, while a bona fide written lease longer than six months is exempt.
Snowbird
A seasonal resident, often from the Northeast, Midwest, or Canada, who leases a South Florida home for the winter and returns north for the summer.
Special assessment
A one-time charge for a major expense beyond the regular budget, falling on owners rather than seasonal tenants.
T
Tax-exempt lease (over six months)
A rental under a bona fide written lease longer than six months is exempt from Florida transient rental tax and the county Tourist Development Tax.
Tourist Development Tax (TDT)
A local bed tax on transient rentals. In Palm Beach County the TDT is 6 percent, charged in addition to state sales tax on stays of six months or less.
Transient rental
Under Florida law, the rental of living, sleeping, or housekeeping accommodations for a term of six months or less. Transient rentals are taxable.
U
Unfurnished rental
A home leased without furnishings, typical of annual leases rather than seasonal stays.
V
Verified minimum-stay
The Seasonal King core standard: the true confirmed minimum lease term for a listing, checked against the community rules rather than repeating the unverified MLS field.
W
Waterfront
Any property fronting water, whether ocean, Intracoastal, canal, or lake; the distinction matters for value and use.
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