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

Registration required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

17%

Fine for hosting without a permit

$500

Listings showing a permit number

52%

Next rule change

Jan 1, 2027

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 or operator of every dwelling unit, or part of one, rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days inside the Houston city limits; each unit needs its own certificate.^{1,4,5,7,11,12}

Issued by

City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department (ARA)

Valid for

One year from the date of issue. A renewal can be filed up to 90 days before the certificate expires. It cannot be transferred, and a change of ownership of the property needs a new registration.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Platforms must require the certificate number on every Houston listing and may not list a rental without one. The city asks platforms to remove listings with no, invalid, expired or revoked numbers, and they have 10 business days to comply; those notices start on January 1, 2027.

Fees

Who qualifies

• The applicant matches the owner on Harris County Central Appraisal District records, or the lessor named in the lease
• A tenant needs the owner's signed authorization, or a lease or lessor letter that specifically allows short-term rental
• The owner confirms in writing that rental use does not break any deed restriction, homeowner association rule, condominium agreement or lease term
• Proof that hotel occupancy tax is covered: a box ticked for Airbnb-only listings, otherwise proof of payment or of registration with Houston First Corporation
• A 24-hour emergency contact or call center, and a human trafficking awareness training certificate kept on file
• A business owner keeps Texas Secretary of State filings and shows it is in good standing with the state

How to apply

1. 1 Gather a driver's license (front and back), property and owner details, a 24-hour emergency contact, links to every listing, hotel tax proof, the owner's authorization or a lease that allows short-term rental, and the training certificate.
2. 2 Create an account and apply at str.houstontx.gov; the form cannot be saved and has to be finished within one hour.
3. 3 Pay the $275 fee and the administrative fee online when filing.
4. 4 Wait for the approval email and the certificate: a property that has applied but not received them is non-compliant.
5. 5 Give the registration number to Airbnb and every other platform, show it on each listing, and post the certificate inside the front entrance.

Permit rules

Certificate of registration for every rental

Operating, renting, leasing or advertising a short-term rental inside Houston without a valid certificate of registration is unlawful, and each rental unit needs its own certificate.^1,4 Applies to: Houston city limits · In force since January 1, 2026

One-year certificate, renewable 90 days ahead

A certificate is valid for one year from the date of issue, and a renewal can be filed up to 90 calendar days before it expires.^1,25 In force since January 1, 2026

A certificate cannot be transferred

A certificate stays with the registrant and the address, and a change of ownership of the property requires a new registration.^8,9 In force since January 1, 2026

Certificate number and occupancy limit on every listing

Every public listing or advertisement, including those a platform runs, must show the certificate of registration number and the maximum permitted occupancy limits, and hosts give the registration number to each listing platform.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2026

Certificate posted inside the front entrance

A copy of the approved certificate must be posted at a conspicuous place inside the front entrance of the rental.¹ In force since January 1, 2026

Platforms must require the number and remove non-compliant listings

Platforms must require the certificate number on every Houston listing and may not list a rental without one; when the city asks, they remove a listing with no, invalid, expired or revoked number within 10 business days.^1,5 Applies to: Platforms · In force since January 1, 2026

City starts sending removal notices on January 1, 2027

From January 1, 2027 the city will begin notifying platforms to remove listings that lack a certificate of registration.⁴ Applies to: Platforms · Takes effect January 1, 2027

Any home or room rented under 30 consecutive nights

A short-term rental is a whole dwelling unit or any part of one, such as a room, rented or offered for fewer than 30 consecutive days; hotels, bed and breakfasts and similar licensed lodging are excluded.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2026

Owners, companies and their agents can register

Any owner of a property can register a rental, whether an individual or a business, and the rental can be run by the owner or the owner's authorized agent.^1,7 In force since January 1, 2026

Houston has no zoning code

Houston is not zoned, so the registration applies across the city and no map limits where a rental can operate; private deed restrictions are the main land-use limit.¹⁴ Applies to: Houston city limits

No limit on the number of rentals

The city caps neither the total number of short-term rentals nor how many one owner or company can register, but each home, condominium or apartment unit needs its own certificate.⁸ In force since January 1, 2026

Tenants need the owner's written authorization

A tenant can host only with the property owner's signed authorization, or a lease or lessor letter that specifically allows short-term rental, and applies for the certificate for that unit.^7,8,25 Applies to: Tenants · In force since January 1, 2026

Owner confirms no covenant, HOA or lease conflict

The application includes the owner's acknowledgment that short-term rental use does not violate any covenants, homeowner association rules, bylaws, deed restrictions, condominium terms or lease terms.^1,7 In force since January 1, 2026

No annual limit on rented nights

Houston sets no cap on the number of nights a rental can be booked in a year; the only stay rule in the ordinance is a one-night minimum.¹ In force since January 1, 2026

One-night minimum stay

A rental may not be let for less than one night.¹ In force since January 1, 2026

Hotel tax proof is part of the application

An application needs proof that the hotel occupancy tax is covered: hosts listing only on Airbnb tick a box, and hosts listing anywhere else show proof of payment or of registration with Houston First Corporation.^4,7,10 In force since January 1, 2026

Human trafficking awareness training

Applicants complete a human trafficking prevention training course and keep the completion certificate to give the city on request.^4,7 In force since January 1, 2026

24-hour emergency contact responds within one hour

Each rental needs an emergency contact, or call center, reachable by phone at all times while guests are present, who responds within one hour; the names and numbers are posted in the rental.^1,4 In force since January 1, 2026

No advertising of events

Owners and operators may not advertise or promote a banquet, wedding, reception, reunion, bachelor or bachelorette party, concert or similar event at a short-term rental, and may not let others do so.^1,5 In force since January 1, 2026

Noise, nuisance and trash rules apply to guests too

Owners, operators and guests must follow the city's noise and sound level rules (Chapter 30), building and neighborhood protection rules (Chapter 10) and solid waste and litter rules (Chapter 39); complaints go to a 24-hour hotline.^1,8 In force since January 1, 2026

Construction and Fire Code compliance

A rental must comply with the city's Construction and Fire Code, and fire-code complaints about rentals are routed to the Houston Fire Department.^1,8 In force since January 1, 2026

No insurance requirement

The city does not require short-term rental owners to buy insurance or show proof of it.⁸ In force since January 1, 2026

Revocation and a one-year wait

The city can revoke a certificate for false information, unpaid hotel tax, repeated nuisance or noise violations, or convictions for serious offenses at the rental; after a revocation the same property cannot be registered for one year, and a revocation can be appealed within 20 days.^1,7,8 In force since January 1, 2026

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$160

Taxes on that night (17%)

$27

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$187

What the host still handles

• A Houston short-term rental certificate of registration from the city's Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department
• An account with Houston First Corporation for the 7% city hotel tax, only for bookings outside Airbnb and Vrbo (such as Booking.com or your own website); reports are due quarterly, on April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31
• The Harris County Tax Office for the county and Sports Authority taxes, and the Texas Comptroller for the 6% state tax, on bookings taken outside a platform that collects them (Form AP-102 to the Comptroller; state returns due the 20th of the following month, or quarter if qualified)^{16,18,19,21,22,26}

• Operating, renting, leasing or advertising a short-term rental in Houston without a certificate of registration is punished by a fine of $100 to $500 for each violation, and each day counts as a separate violation.^1,5
• A revoked certificate bars registering the same property again for one year, and an owner who loses three or more certificates in 24 months can face revocation of the rest.^1,8
• City hotel tax paid or filed late: 10% annual interest, and a 15% penalty on amounts a quarter or more past due.¹⁷
• State hotel tax filed late: $50 for each late report, plus a percentage penalty on the tax.²⁰

1. January 1, 2027 Upcoming
   City starts notifying platforms to remove unregistered listings

   From January 1, 2027 the city will begin notifying platforms to remove listings that lack a certificate of registration; platforms then have 10 business days to remove them.^1,4

2. January 1, 2026
   Ordinance takes effect

   The ordinance took effect on January 1, 2026: registration is required, fines of $100 to $500 per violation apply, and the city's 2026 administrative fee rose to $33.56.^1,6,12,13

3. November 1, 2025
   Director's registration rules take effect

   The Administration and Regulatory Affairs director's policy ARA-RP-003 set the documents needed for registration, effective November 1, 2025.⁷

4. October 1, 2025
   Registration opens

   The city began accepting certificate of registration applications online on October 1, 2025.^6,13

5. April 16, 2025
   City Council adopts Ordinance 2025-322

   Houston City Council passed a registration-based short-term rental ordinance, adding Article XXIII to Chapter 28 of the Code of Ordinances.^1,5,6

6. November 13, 2024
   Draft ordinance opens for public comment

   The city posted the first draft of a short-term rental ordinance for public comment on November 13, 2024.⁸

Estimate what a Houston home could earn

1. 1. Ordinance 2025-322 as adopted: Chapter 28, Article XXIII, Short-Term Rentals · City of Houston
2. 2. H.B. 2464, 89th Legislature (enrolled): authority of a municipality to regulate a home-based business · Texas Legislature
3. 3. Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 54, Section 54.001 · Texas Legislature
4. 4. Short-Term Rentals · City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs
5. 5. Houston City Council approves short-term rental regulations (April 17, 2025) · City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs
6. 6. Newly Adopted Short-Term Rental Ordinance Effective January 1, 2026 · Houston Permitting Center
7. 7. Regulatory Permitting Policy ARA-RP-003: Short-Term Rental Registration (Director rules, effective November 1, 2025) · City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs
8. 8. Short-Term Rental Regulations: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions (April 25, 2025) · City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs
9. 9. Short-Term Rentals: Introductory Information · City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs
10. 10. Short-Term Rentals: Hotel Occupancy Tax Proof · City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs
11. 11. City-Wide Fee Schedule · City of Houston Finance Department
12. 12. 2026 Fee Increase Notice · Houston Permitting Center
13. 13. Short-Term Rentals · City of Houston Council Member At-Large 5
14. 14. Deed Restrictions: Frequently Asked Questions · City of Houston Legal Department
15. 15. About Deed Restrictions · City of Houston Planning and Development Department
16. 16. Hotel Occupancy Tax E-Service Center · Houston First Corporation
17. 17. Filing and Remittance · Houston First Corporation
18. 18. Hotel Occupancy Tax FAQs · Houston First Corporation
19. 19. Hotel Occupancy Tax FAQs · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
20. 20. Hotel Occupancy Tax · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
21. 21. Local Hotel Occupancy Tax Overview · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
22. 22. Hotel/Motel Occupancy Tax · Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector
23. 23. Tarr v. Timberwood Park Owners Association, Inc., No. 16-1005 · Supreme Court of Texas
24. 24. Registered Short-Term Rental map layer (City of Houston Registered Short-Term Rentals Dashboard Map) · City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs
25. 25. Hosting in Houston, Texas · Airbnb Help Center
26. 26. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Texas · Airbnb Help Center