Is Airbnb Legal in Galveston? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

License required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

15%

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $2,000

Listings showing a permit number

97%

Next rule change

Dec 31, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

The owner of every residential dwelling or accessory building rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days inside the City of Galveston, for each rentable unit.^6,7,8,9

Issued by

City of Galveston (STR Administration, Finance Department)

Valid for

Licenses run from January 1 to December 31 of each calendar year and cannot be transferred; renewals open December 1 and are due by December 31.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Platforms must require the registration number in each Galveston listing and remove a listing when the city reports that its number is invalid, expired or revoked.

Fees

Who qualifies

• The property must be outside R-0 (Restricted Residential, Single-Family) zoning.
• The owner names an operator (the owner, an agent or a management company) and a 24-hour local contact who can respond within one hour.
• Each rentable unit is licensed and numbered separately, and a sale of the property requires the new owner to register again.
• Recreational vehicles, campers and trailers cannot be registered, except RVs in permanent RV parks.
• The license does not override private covenants, deed restrictions or HOA rules.

How to apply

1. 1 Gather the property address or Galveston Central Appraisal District (GCAD) number, the number of bedrooms, the sleeping capacity, and the name and phone number of a 24-hour contact who lives within one hour of the rental.
2. 2 Register the unit in the City of Galveston short-term rental portal (galvestontx.gov/rentals) and pay the $250 fee by card or bank transfer.
3. 3 Receive the GVR number once the fee is paid and put it in every listing and advertisement.
4. 4 Open the same portal account to file city hotel tax reports by the 20th of each month, or each quarter if eligible.

Permit rules

Annual city license required

Every short-term rental in Galveston needs a non-transferable annual license from the city, obtained before the first guest stays.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

One GVR number for each rentable unit

Each rentable unit gets its own Galveston Vacation Rental (GVR) number, even when one owner or company holds several units.^7,8

$250 a year per unit

The registration fee is $250 for both new registrations and renewals; the fee is not prorated and is non-refundable.^3,9

$500 late fee after December 31

An owner who registers after December 31 pays a $500 late fee on top of the $250, unless the owner acquired the property after that date.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

Renewals open December 1, due December 31

Renewals for the next calendar year open on December 1 and are due by December 31; a license registered during the year still expires on December 31.^7,9

A sale needs a new registration

The GVR number does not stay with the property: when ownership changes, the new owner registers again and receives a new number before renting.^3,7

GVR number in every advertisement

The registration number goes in every ad on every medium, including booking platforms, management company sites and social media; each day without it counts as a separate offense.^6,8

Platforms must remove flagged listings

Booking platforms must require the registration number in each Galveston listing and remove any listing the city flags as expired, invalid or revoked; platforms that collect state hotel tax must collect the city tax too.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

A lapsed registration gets the listing removed

If the registration is not renewed by December 31, the city sends the invalid GVR number and address to the listing platforms, and the host must get the listing reinstated.^7,9

Allowed everywhere except R-0 districts

Short-term rentals are allowed in every Galveston zoning district except R-0 (Restricted Residential, Single-Family), so a host checks the property's district in the Land Development Regulations before applying.¹²

Existing rentals survive a zoning change if kept registered

A rental that was established before a zoning change is treated as a legal nonconformity, which ends if the unit goes more than 365 consecutive days without a registration.³ In force since November 13, 2025

Owner and operator share liability

The owner names an operator, who can be the owner, an agent or a management company, and both are jointly liable for violations; the owner does not have to live in the home.^3,7 In force since November 13, 2025

Tenants need the owner's written permission

A tenant may serve as the operator of a short-term rental only when the owner expressly permits it in writing; the license itself belongs to the owner.³ Applies to: tenants · In force since November 13, 2025

No RVs, campers or trailers

Recreational vehicles, campers and similar structures cannot be registered as short-term rentals; RVs in permanent RV parks are exempt.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

HOA rules and deed restrictions still apply

The city license does not give an owner the right to break private covenants, deed restrictions or HOA rules that prohibit short-term rentals.³ In force since November 13, 2025

Under 30 days is a short-term rental

A residential dwelling or accessory building rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days is a short-term rental; the ordinance sets no separate minimum number of nights.^3,8

24-hour local contact within one hour

Each license names a local contact who lives within one hour of the rental and must respond to complaints within 1 hour and resolve them within 2 hours; missing either deadline counts as a violation.^7,8 In force since November 13, 2025

Owner answers for guest conduct

Owners and operators are responsible for guests following city rules on parking, trash, noise and public safety, and each failure can count toward revoking the license.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

24/7 complaint hotline

Neighbors and visitors report problem rentals to a 24/7 monitored city hotline at 409-247-8160, and the hotline logs start the one-hour and two-hour response clocks.^7,8

Information sheet posted inside the unit

Each unit posts a sheet with its maximum occupancy, parking rules, quiet hours, the local contact, emergency numbers and flood-evacuation guidance.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

Bedrooms and sleeping capacity declared at registration

Registration asks for the number of bedrooms and the sleeping capacity of the unit, and each unit posts its maximum occupancy inside.⁷

Three violations in 12 months can cost the license

A license is eligible for revocation after three violations within 12 months; a first revocation lasts up to six months, units come off all platforms, and repeat violations after reinstatement can lead to permanent revocation by the City Council.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

Unpaid registration means immediate suspension

Failing to register or pay the fee brings an immediate suspension of the listing and fines, and the unit cannot be advertised or rented during the suspension.^3,8 In force since November 13, 2025

9% city hotel tax, collected by Airbnb

Guests pay the 9% City of Galveston hotel occupancy tax on the listing price including cleaning fees, and Airbnb collects and remits it.^7,11,17

City hotel tax reports are due even when Airbnb pays

Tax reports are due by the 20th of the month after the reporting period, or quarterly on April 20, July 20, October 20 and January 20 for small filers, and a zero report is required even when platforms remit all the tax.^7,8,10

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$255

Taxes on that night (15%)

$38

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$293

What the host still handles

• A City of Galveston short-term rental license and GVR number, plus a hotel tax account in the same city portal
• City hotel tax reports by the 20th of each month (or quarterly, April 20, July 20, October 20 and January 20, if the tax is $500 a month or $1,500 a quarter or less), including zero reports when Airbnb pays all the tax
• The Texas Comptroller, only for bookings taken outside a platform that collects the state tax (own website or non-collecting platforms)^{4,5,7,10,11,17}

• Violations of the short-term rental article are Class C misdemeanors with fines up to $500 per offense, or up to $2,000 when the violation relates to health, sanitation, zoning or fire safety; each day of continuing conduct is a separate offense.^2,6,8
• Failing to register or to meet the hotel tax payment rules is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 per offense, with each day a separate offense.⁶
• Registering after December 31 adds a $500 late fee to the $250 license fee.⁸
• Advertising a unit without its registration number is a separate offense for each day and for each medium used.^3,8
• License revocation: three violations within 12 months make a license eligible for revocation for up to six months on a first revocation, and repeat violations after reinstatement can lead to permanent revocation.⁸
• City hotel tax paid late adds 5% of the tax (1 to 30 days late), 10% (31 to 60 days) or 15% (more than 60 days), plus interest after 60 days.¹¹
• State hotel tax filed late: a $50 penalty for each late report, plus 5% of the tax if paid 1 to 30 days after the due date.⁴

1. December 31, 2026 Upcoming
   2027 license renewals due

   Renewals for the 2027 license year open on December 1, 2026 and are due by December 31, 2026; registrations filed after that date carry the $500 late fee.^7,8

2. November 13, 2025
   Ordinance 25-060 rewrites the short-term rental rules

   Council adopted Ordinance 25-060 on November 13, 2025, and it took effect on adoption. The rewritten article sets the annual non-transferable license, the $500 late fee, the 1-hour and 2-hour local contact deadlines, a licensing board with revocation after three violations in 12 months, the posted information sheet and platform removal duties.^3,8

3. October 1, 2025
   City takes over registration and hotel tax

   The City of Galveston began registering short-term rentals and collecting the hotel tax on October 1, 2025.^6,8

4. March 2025
   Council moves registration and hotel tax collection to the city

   In March 2025 the City Council moved short-term rental registration and hotel tax collection from the Galveston Park Board to the City of Galveston, effective October 1, 2025.⁶

Estimate what a Galveston home could earn

1. 1. H.B. 2464, 89th Legislature (enrolled): authority of a municipality to regulate a home-based business · Texas Legislature
2. 2. Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 54, Section 54.001 · Texas Legislature
3. 3. Ordinance 25-060: Chapter 19 Short Term Rentals amendments (adopted November 13, 2025) · City of Galveston
4. 4. Hotel Occupancy Tax · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
5. 5. Hotel Occupancy Tax FAQs · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
6. 6. Ordinances, Authorization and Penalties · City of Galveston
7. 7. Frequently Asked Questions (short-term rental program) · City of Galveston
8. 8. City Council approves updated short-term rental ordinance (with summary of ordinance) · City of Galveston
9. 9. Short-term Rental Registration and Renewals · City of Galveston
10. 10. Online Reporting and Paying Service · City of Galveston
11. 11. Hotel Occupancy Tax Collection Report · City of Galveston Finance Department
12. 12. FAQ: Can a short-term rental operate in my neighborhood? · City of Galveston Development Services Department
13. 13. STR Count as of October 1, 2025 · City of Galveston
14. 14. 2025 STR Hotline Complaints · City of Galveston
15. 15. 2024 STR Hotline Complaints · City of Galveston
16. 16. STR Hotel Occupancy Tax Data (audits 2022 to 2025) · City of Galveston
17. 17. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Texas · Airbnb Help Center