City of Sarasota, Lido Key and Longboat Key: what it really costs to own

The area

The City of Sarasota runs from the downtown bayfront out to Lido Key and St. Armands Key, where St. Armands Circle is a ring of shops and restaurants a short drive from Lido Beach. Longboat Key stretches along the Gulf across two counties, with Sarasota Bay on its east side and bridges at each end.

Property taxes

Florida property taxes are set in mills: $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value. After a sale, a home is reassessed at market value the next January 1, so plan on taxes based on your purchase price, not the seller's bill.

The $400,000 column is simple arithmetic (value × mills ÷ 1,000), not a bill. School taxes (6.0950 of the Sarasota County mills) are figured on a different taxable value for homesteads. Some parcels carry small extra districts, such as the Sarasota Downtown Improvement District (2.0000 mills).

Fixed assessments on the tax bill

• Fire: unincorporated county and the City of Sarasota charge by building size. For fiscal 2027, single-family homes pay $12.87 per 100 square feet (about $257 for 2,000 square feet); condos and other multi-family buildings pay $23.33 per 100 square feet.
• Solid waste: in unincorporated Sarasota County, $263.96 a year for curbside service. The cities handle trash under their own rules.
• Stormwater: unincorporated county parcels pay $31.41 plus $16.35 for each 500 square feet of hard surface (posted fiscal 2025 rates). The City of Sarasota has its own stormwater charge.

CDD and special district fees

Community Development District (CDD) fees are common in newer master-planned communities elsewhere in Sarasota County, but older city and island neighborhoods mostly don't have them. What you may see instead are small improvement or lighting districts, and in some unincorporated mainland neighborhoods, septic-to-sewer assessments (the Phillippi Creek program). A property's tax bill lists every assessment, so ask for it.

Coastal condos

Florida now requires condo and co-op buildings of three or more habitable stories to have a milestone structural inspection at 30 years old and every 10 years after, and a structural integrity reserve study (SIRS) at least every 10 years. Associations can no longer waive reserves for the items the study covers. For Lido, St. Armands and Longboat towers, ask for the latest inspection, the SIRS and the reserve funding plan before you buy; they tell you how likely a special assessment is.

Flood and insurance

FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS) rewards communities for flood-safety work with discounts on National Flood Insurance Program policies (FEMA list effective April 2026). New FEMA flood maps took effect for Sarasota County on March 27, 2024. Zones starting with A or V are high-risk, and lenders require flood insurance there on federally backed mortgages.

Recent storms:

• Milton: made landfall on Siesta Key on the night of October 9, 2024 as a Category 3 hurricane, with a 4–6 foot storm surge from Longboat Key to Venice.
• Helene: two weeks earlier, pushed water 3–6 feet above normal high tide along the Sarasota coast.
• Ian (2022): brought record river flooding inland.

Before you buy, check the flood zone, ask for the seller's flood disclosure and any elevation certificate, and get homeowners and flood quotes. Sarasota County also enforces the "50% rule": if repairs or improvements cost half the building's value or more, the whole building may have to meet current flood rules.

Renting your home

• City of Sarasota: 1–4 unit homes in residential zones need a vacation rental certificate and an inspection, with a 7-night minimum ($500 initial fee, $350 yearly renewal). Condos, owner-occupied homes and rentals of 30+ days are exempt.
• Longboat Key: a 30-day (or one calendar month) minimum unless the zoning allows tourism or the use was grandfathered, plus a rental registration for stays under six months.

Florida law bars local governments from banning vacation rentals or limiting how often they're rented, except under rules adopted by June 1, 2011, which is why older rules like these still apply. Association rules can be stricter.