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Texas Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Laws 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 21 jurisdictions across Texas. Select a city below for current permit requirements, tax rates, and compliance details.

15 Active 3 Restricted 3 Pending

Texas Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Texas encompasses 21 tracked jurisdictions: 15 with active regulations, 3 with restrictions, 3 with pending legislation. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

Approximately 90% of tracked jurisdictions in Texas require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 17 of 21 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Fort Worth, Corpus Christi, Grapevine. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.

LawfulStay monitors Texas STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi placed a temporary freeze on certain short-term rental permit issuances effective September 1, 2026 through November 17, 2026. This pause allows …
Restricted
Fort Worth
STRs are banned in residential zones — this is the most significant restriction. No events or parties permitted at STR properties. A local responsible party mus…
Restricted
Grapevine
Ordinance 2024-007 adopted January 16, 2024. Single-family STRs have never been a permitted use under Grapevine's Zoning Ordinance and remain expressly banned. …
Restricted
Austin
Austin requires short-term rentals to display a valid city-issued license number on all online listings. Starting July 1, 2026, listings without a valid license…
Active
Baytown
Baytown STR operators must now obtain a $350 annual permit and pass a Fire Marshal inspection at each renewal. A designated local contact must be reachable 24 h…
Active
Dallas
Two June 2023 ordinances (zoning + registration) are under a temporary injunction filed Dec 6, 2023; Fifth District Court of Appeals upheld the injunction multi…
Active
Fredericksburg
Current STR Ordinance (2023-18) effective January 1, 2024. Annual inspections required, plus inspections on new permit issuance, ownership transfer, complaints,…
Active
Galveston
New comprehensive ordinance updates approved Nov 13, 2025, developed by an STR Ad Hoc Committee; includes a three-strike rule allowing license revocation if thr…
Active
Houston
Houston's updated STR regulations impose stricter measures on short-term rental property owners, including enhanced enforcement mechanisms and liability for nei…
Active
Little Elm
Little Elm, Texas has existing ordinances that prohibit parties and events at short-term rentals. Following a shooting that injured a teenager at a rental birth…
Active
Lubbock
Registration effective January 1, 2020. Operators must file monthly HOT returns even if no revenue. Long-term rentals (30+ days) must advertise '30-day minimum …
Active
New Braunfels
New Braunfels' STR ordinances from 2006 and 2011 prohibit short-term rentals of less than 30 days in specified zoning districts. The federal court has confirmed…
Active
Port Aransas
Applicants must submit operator identity, property details, a designated 24/7 local contact, and sleeping room info. Requires trash toter allocation by sleeping…
Active
Richardson
Richardson STR operators must comply with new distance requirements between properties and pay increased annual licensing fees. The regulations took effect at t…
Active
Rockport
Ordinance 1928 adopted in 2024. All existing STRs were required to register by December 1, 2024; new STRs must register before operating. Online registration av…
Active
Round Rock
Annual Operating License required under Ordinance No. 20160223-A.1. Required documentation includes: approved site plan, detailed floor plans, DBA registration …
Active
San Antonio
Short-term rental owners in San Antonio face a proposed significant increase in permit fees. The city council is set to vote on doubling the permit costs as par…
Active
South Padre Island
Regulated under Ordinances 15-03, 17-09, and 25-04. Operators must: (1) register annually for $125; (2) collect and remit HOT monthly; (3) designate a local 24/…
Active
Denison
Unknown
Pending
El Paso
As of October 2025, El Paso was on the verge of creating a dedicated STR ordinance; the city had been working with the El Paso Short-Term Rental Alliance. STRs …
Pending
Wimberley
Wimberley's Planning & Zoning Commission is holding a public hearing on proposed STR zoning amendments on July 9, 2026, at 6 p.m. at City Hall, followed by a Ci…
Pending

Data updated daily from official government sources.  ·  LawfulStay.com — The authoritative global STR regulations database.  ·  Data Methodology