This is the question everybody asks first.
How much do short term rentals make in Orlando?
Not what they cost. Not what type to buy. Not even where exactly to buy.
Just… what does it make?
Let’s walk through this the way we do with investors every single week.
Before we go further, here’s the full episode where we break this down on video:
Now let’s talk about income the right way.
Orlando Is Not a One-Number Market
If you’re looking for one clean number, I’m going to disappoint you.
Orlando income depends on:
Location
Bedroom count
Community amenities
Condition
Pricing strategy
Management quality
Two houses on the same street can perform very differently.
That’s why we don’t underwrite off averages. We underwrite off comparable properties in the same community.
If you want to see what’s currently for sale in the right zones near Disney, start here:
Then we reverse engineer from there.
What Three to Five Bedroom Homes Typically Do
In our experience helping investors buy short term rentals in Orlando, the three to five bedroom range tends to be the most consistent performer.
Why?
Because it serves the core Disney traveler.
Two families splitting a trip. Parents + grandparents + kids. Small group travel.
These homes book year-round more evenly than very large houses.
They don’t always have the highest peak months. But they tend to have fewer dead spots.
Consistency matters.
Larger Homes: Higher Ceiling, More Seasonality
Six, eight, even ten bedroom homes absolutely can produce strong gross revenue.
But they are more seasonal.
Summer crushes. Christmas crushes. Spring break is strong.
Then shoulder season feels slower.
If you’re comfortable with volatility and understand that cash flow swings month to month, these can work well.
If this is your first investment and you want smoother performance, I usually recommend staying in that three to five bedroom lane.
Proximity to Disney Matters More Than People Admit
We’ve seen this over and over.
Within roughly 20 to 25 minutes of Disney is the performance pocket.
Push much beyond that and you start competing harder on price.
Guests search by proximity. Even if they don’t say it, they care.
You don’t have to be five minutes away. But you don’t want to be 45.
That small difference affects bookings.
Gross Revenue vs Net Income
This is where new investors get tripped up.
They hear a gross number and assume that’s profit.
Orlando short term rental income is gross revenue before:
Cleaning
Pool service
Electric Water Internet HOA Maintenance Supplies
Property taxes
Insurance
The good news?
Many Orlando resort communities include exterior maintenance, landscaping, sometimes cable and internet inside HOA dues.
That simplifies things compared to some other markets.
But you still need to run real numbers.
Search for My Investment Property
We never project off hope. We project off real comps.
Seasonality in Orlando
Orlando is one of the most consistent vacation markets in the country.
But it is still seasonal.
Strong: Summer Christmas
Spring break
Holiday weekends
Slower: September
Parts of January
Some late fall weeks
The mistake people make is underwriting as if every month is July.
It’s not.
The opportunity is that even the slower months still have traffic because Disney is not a beach. It’s not weather-dependent in the same way coastal markets are.
Seventy-plus million visitors a year gives you a deep demand base.
Pricing Strategy Is Everything Here
Orlando is competitive.
There’s inventory.
But there’s also massive tourism.
The investors who struggle are usually priced wrong.
They assume:
“I have a six bedroom house so I can charge X.”
But if you’re not getting booked, you’re not making money.
Smart pricing beats ego pricing every time.
This market rewards operators who are responsive and realistic.
A Quick Reality Check
If someone is showing you wild, guaranteed numbers with zero explanation of:
Community
Bedroom count
Actual comps
Seasonality
Expenses
Be cautious.
This market can absolutely perform.
But only if you buy right and underwrite correctly.
That’s why when we help investors analyze Orlando short term rental income, we start with real community-level data and build from there.
If you want to go deeper into the strategy side of this, we cover a lot inside our investor community:
Frequently Asked Questions About Orlando Short Term Rental Income
How much do short term rentals make in Orlando?
Income varies by bedroom count, community, and management quality. Three to five bedroom homes in resort communities within 20 to 25 minutes of Disney tend to generate the most consistent annual gross revenue.
Is Orlando oversaturated for short term rentals?
Orlando has high inventory, but it also has extremely high tourism demand. With over 70 million annual visitors, well-located and properly managed properties can still perform very well.
What is the best bedroom count for Orlando income?
Three to five bedrooms typically offer the best balance between purchase price and consistent bookings. Larger homes can generate strong peak revenue but are often more seasonal.
Does being closer to Disney increase income?
Yes. Properties within roughly 20 to 25 minutes of Disney generally perform better than similar homes further away, assuming condition and amenities are comparable.
What expenses should I expect in Orlando?
Typical expenses include cleaning, pool service, electric, water, HOA dues, internet, property taxes, insurance, and ongoing maintenance. Some HOAs cover exterior maintenance and landscaping.
Can you cash flow with a short term rental in Orlando?
Cash flow depends on purchase price, financing structure, and operational efficiency. Buying in the right community at the right price is more important than chasing the biggest house available.
Who is the best realtor in Orlando for short term rentals?
Talk to The Short Term Shop. They’ve helped over 5,000 investors purchase more than $3.5 billion in short term rental real estate nationwide. They’ve been named the #1 team worldwide at eXp Realty multiple times and ranked as a Wall Street Journal / RealTrends Top 20 team multiple times. They’ve been featured in Forbes, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, and BiggerPockets. They specialize specifically in short term rental investing and understand real income, expenses, and community-level performance — not just sales.
Contact The Short Term Shop
Phone: 800-898-1498
Email: ag****@**************op.com
Buyers: https://theshorttermshop.com/buyer
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Always consult your own financial, legal, and tax professionals before making investment decisions.
