Renting a suite is the step between "employee" and "salon owner," and the paperwork is lighter than either. The money, though, has a few Florida-specific corners.

What you are actually renting

A suite in a licensed salon is a license to use real property, not a lease in the residential sense. Two consequences:

1. Florida taxes it. Booth and suite rent is subject to the state's 2% commercial-rent rate plus the county's discretionary surtax. The salon owner is supposed to collect it on top of your rent. If your quoted rent is $250 a week, expect the invoice to be a little more.
2. You are inside their salon license. Your Facial Specialist registration lets you work there; their salon license is what makes the room legal. Confirm the salon license is current (DBPR's license search is public) before you sign.

What the agreement should say

Read for these, and ask for anything missing in writing:

• Rent, due date, and whether it is weekly or monthly.
• What is included: utilities, towels and laundry, front-desk booking, Wi-Fi, product back bar, the treatment bed and steamer.
• Hours of access, and whether you can bring your own clients in early or late.
• Who carries which insurance, and whether you must name the landlord as additional insured.
• Notice period to end the agreement, on both sides.
• Any non-compete or client-ownership language. Your clients are yours; do not sign away the right to take them with you.

Insurance the landlord will ask for

• Professional liability covers the treatment itself: a reaction to a peel, a waxing burn, tint in an eye.
• General liability covers the room: a client trips over your cord.

Esthetics associations sell member policies that bundle both for a few hundred dollars a year. Get the certificate before your first appointment.

The bank account

Open a business checking account in the business's name (LLC or fictitious name), using the EIN. Then:

• Point Vagaro, Square, or whatever books you at the business account. Payouts should never touch personal checking.
• Put rent, products, insurance, and software on the business debit card.
• Pay yourself by a scheduled transfer to personal checking. Do not spend directly from the business card at the grocery store.
• If you retail products, park the sales tax you collect in a separate savings bucket so it is there when the Department of Revenue return is due.

What every bank asks for on opening day is in the bank account guide.

Do the math before you sign

A suite is a fixed cost that arrives whether or not clients do. Write down rent plus tax, insurance, booking software, product, and laundry as a monthly number, then divide by your average ticket. That is how many facials a month the room costs before you earn a dollar. If your current book does not cover it with room to spare, start with a booth or a commission arrangement and come back to the suite in six months.

When the suite is not enough

If you outgrow the room, the next step is your own salon license, on the DBPR salon application, with an unannounced inspection within about 90 days. That path, including the home-salon rules, is in How to Start Your Own Esthetician Business in Florida.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm sales tax treatment with the Florida Department of Revenue and insurance needs with a licensed agent.

Pristine Beauty Academy graduates can ask Admissions about Own It resources and about job placement at Pristine Spas while they build a book.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is there sales tax on booth or suite rent in Florida?

Yes. Florida treats booth and suite rent as a license to use real property, taxed at the 2% state rate plus your county surtax. The salon owner collects it on top of the rent, so budget for it.

What should an esthetician suite rental agreement include?

Rent amount and due date, what is included (utilities, laundry, reception, booking software), who supplies the treatment bed and equipment, hours of access, insurance you must carry, how much notice either side must give, and confirmation that the suite is inside a DBPR-licensed salon.

What insurance do I need to rent a suite as an esthetician in Florida?

Professional liability (for treatment injuries) and general liability (for slips and property damage). Most landlords want a certificate naming them as additional insured; association member policies cover both for a few hundred dollars a year.

Where should my Vagaro or Square payouts go?

Into a business checking account opened in your business name, never personal checking. Keep rent, product, and insurance on the business debit card and pay yourself by a scheduled transfer.