Texas Airbnb & Short-Term Rental Laws 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental (STR / Airbnb / Vrbo / holiday let / vacation rental) regulations for 47 jurisdictions across Texas. Select a city below for current permit requirements, tax rates, and compliance details.

25 Active 2 Conditional 18 Restricted 2 Banned

Texas at a glance

Places tracked
47 places: 25 active, 2 conditional, 18 restricted, 2 banned
License or registration
Required in 40 of 46 local places
Tax on stays
Applies in 45 of 46 local places
State law
Texas has no statewide short-term rental license and no state law limiting city short-term rental rules. Statewide rules ›

Texas short-term rental questions

Are short-term rentals legal in Texas?

In 45 of the 47 places we track in Texas, short-term rentals are allowed, 20 of them with permit conditions or limits. They are banned in Grapevine, Oak Ridge North.

Do I need a license for a short-term rental in Texas?

40 of 46 local places we track in Texas require a license, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.

Is there a statewide short-term rental law in Texas?

Texas has no statewide short-term rental license and no state law limiting city short-term rental rules.

Which places in Texas have the strictest rules?

On our records: Grapevine, Oak Ridge North, San Antonio, Galveston, Fredericksburg, Port Aransas.

Counties in Texas

Compare every Texas market

Status, licensing, fees, taxes, night caps and penalties for all 47 places in one table, with CSV export and full audits.

State Access →

Texas Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Texas encompasses 47 tracked jurisdictions: 25 with active regulations, 2 where rentals are allowed with conditions, 18 with restrictions, 2 where STRs are banned. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

40 of 47 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 46 of 47 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.

Notable jurisdictions where short-term rentals are currently banned or heavily restricted include Grapevine, Oak Ridge North. Hosts should check these listings for details on specific prohibitions and any exceptions that may apply.

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.

Grapevine
Grapevine bans single-family short-term rentals citywide
Banned
Oak Ridge North
New short-term rentals are banned citywide since June 24, 2024
Banned
Arlington
Arlington allows short-term rentals only in the STR Zone near the stadiums and entertainment district, in RM-12 and RMF-22 districts, and in existing homes in non-residential and mixed-use districts
Restricted
Austin
Every rental needs a two-year City of Austin license ($736.60 new), and one host may run up to two units per site, with other sites at least 1,000 feet apart
Restricted
Boerne
Boerne requires a two-year short-term rental permit ($200) and a city safety inspection ($100) for rentals of less than 30 days
Restricted
Corpus Christi
New Type 1 (owner- or operator-occupied) permits paused from August 25, 2026 until November 17, 2026
Restricted
Fort Worth
Fort Worth bans short-term rentals in all residential zoning districts; they are allowed only in mixed-use, most form-based, commercial and industrial districts
Restricted
Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg is a Dark Sky Community with an 11pm outdoor lighting curfew; quiet hours 10pm–7am must be posted
Restricted
Galveston
Every Galveston short-term rental unit needs an annual City license and GVR number ($250, due by December 31), shown in every listing
Restricted
Kerrville
Kerrville requires a yearly city permit for each short-term rental unit ($100 first year, $50 renewal), issued on a complete application, but zoning allows short-term rentals only in the R-1A, R-3, RT, DAC and MU…
Restricted
Lakeway
Lakeway allows short-term rentals only with a special use permit, and the city caps permits at 25 (condominiums not counted) with a 1,000-foot spacing rule between permitted homes
Restricted
Lewisville
Lewisville caps active short-term rental permits at 150 and requires 1,000 feet between single-family or duplex rentals, both adopted October 6, 2025
Restricted
Lubbock
STRs are allowed but strictly regulated
Restricted
New Braunfels
Short-term rentals (under 30 days) are banned in all residential zoning districts and the floodway
Restricted
Plano
Plano bars new short-term rentals from its residential neighborhoods; new ones may open only in most nonresidential districts, in a small share of multifamily units, and as live-in rentals in heritage districts, while…
Restricted
Port Aransas
Port Aransas requires an annual City short-term rental permit with an inspection, priced by bedrooms ($200 for an efficiency or 1-bedroom, plus $100 per extra bedroom), only in areas zoned R-2 or higher
Restricted
Richardson
Richardson requires yearly registration ($300) and, since August 25, 2026, bars a new short-term rental within 500 feet of an existing one
Restricted
San Antonio
San Antonio requires a city permit for every short-term rental inside city limits: Type 1 when the owner or a tenant-operator lives on the property, Type 2 when not
Restricted
Waco
Waco licenses five types of short-term rentals and limits where each can operate: since June 2021 investor-owned rentals are not allowed in the main single-family districts, where owner-occupied rentals need a City…
Restricted
Wimberley
Wimberley requires a council-approved Conditional Use Permit for almost every short-term rental
Restricted
Dickinson
Dickinson allows short-term rentals only with a Conditional Use Permit that City Council must approve, in residential and mixed-use districts
Conditional
Irving
Irving requires annual short-term rental registration
Conditional
Baytown
Baytown requires an annual $350 short-term rental permit with a Fire Marshal inspection, allowed in residential and mixed-use districts
Active
College Station
College Station requires a yearly city permit and inspection for every short-term rental ($100 permit, $100 inspection, $75 renewal), plus a guest brochure, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher on…
Active
Comal County (unincorporated)
Comal County has no county short-term rental permit, and Texas counties cannot zone or license rentals
Active
Dallas
The single-family short-term rental ban adopted in 2023 is not in force while the courts review it
Active
Denison
Denison allows short-term rentals in single-family and multi-family zones without a city STR permit
Active
Dripping Springs
Dripping Springs has no short-term rental permit or license
Active
El Paso
El Paso allows short-term rentals without a city permit
Active
Frisco
Frisco requires a yearly city short-term rental permit ($300 new and $300 renewal) for any rental under 30 days, with a one-hour local contact, the permit number in every listing, safety equipment and a guest safety…
Active
Galveston County (unincorporated)
Unincorporated Galveston County, including the Bolivar Peninsula, Crystal Beach and Port Bolivar, has no county short-term rental permit, fee, night cap or occupancy rule
Active
Georgetown
Georgetown requires a yearly city permit for every short-term rental ($100, $50 to renew), issued on a complete application, with notice to neighbors within 200 feet
Active
Horseshoe Bay
Horseshoe Bay requires an annual city short-term rental permit for each address, now $1,200 a year from October 3, 2026
Active
Houston
Houston requires an annual City certificate of registration for every short-term rental since January 1, 2026; there is no cap, no owner-occupancy rule and no zoning
Active
Kemah
Kemah requires a yearly city short-term rental permit for each unit, issued after a city inspection, at $450 a year (up to $150 credit for a noise monitoring service)
Active
Lago Vista
Lago Vista requires a $50 city short-term occupancy permit for rentals in its R-1, R-O, RR-A and R-2 residential districts
Active
Little Elm
Little Elm allows short-term rentals with a $200 yearly Town registration
Active
Marble Falls
Marble Falls requires an annual $175 permit, an inspection and $1 million insurance for short-term rentals in residential zones
Active
Marfa
Marfa requires a yearly city permit for each short-term rental unit ($500 per property plus $100 per unit), with liability insurance, a floor plan, a self-inspection report and a local responsible party
Active
McKinney
McKinney requires a free yearly city registration for every short-term rental, naming owners, operators and a Responsible Person who answers complaints within an hour
Active
Rockport
Rockport is one of the most popular STR destinations on the Texas coast
Active
Round Rock
Round Rock requires annual city registration for each short-term rental and a 9 percent city hotel and venue tax that hosts must remit themselves, on top of the 6 percent state tax
Active
South Padre Island
Each rental unit on South Padre Island needs an annual City STR license ($125) through Deckard, the license number in every ad, and monthly City hotel tax filing by the 15th
Active
Texas (statewide)
Texas has no statewide short-term rental license and no state law limiting city short-term rental rules
Active
Surfside Beach
Surfside Beach requires a yearly village short-term rental registration, applied for online before listing, with a street-visible placard, the registration number in ads and a local contact who responds within one hour
Active
Travis County (unincorporated)
Unincorporated Travis County has no short-term rental permit, night cap or owner-occupancy rule
Active
Uvalde County (unincorporated)
Unincorporated Uvalde County, including Concan, Utopia and the Frio River area, has no short-term rental permit, zoning, night cap or owner-occupancy rule
Active

LawfulStay.com: short-term rental rules for 5,118 places, each traced to its official source. Browse all 5,118 places →  ·  How we research  ·  For governments  ·  Press  ·  Trust badge

Translations are for convenience; the official source text governs.