Short-term rental rules — Houston, TX

What we checked

Houston, TX's short-term-rental registration requirement
Houston, TX's lodging-tax requirement

What we found

→A licence is required — $275.00
→Lodging tax applies
!This city publishes a daily penalty for operating unregistered

Read this before you list — these are rules you must confirm, not a verdict. This page is informational, not legal advice, and not a guarantee. Only the base zoning above is checked live, and even that is just the zone designation — not a ruling that short-term rental is allowed at this address. Short-term-rental legality is mostly decided by layers we do not verify here: city registration, primary-residence requirements, night caps, RSO / rent-stabilized & ADU restrictions, and your HOA or condo rules (an HOA can ban STR even where the city allows it). Confirm every rule with the issuing authority before you advertise or accept a booking.

Houston, TX · free check

Short-term rental rules (preview)

What you get free: the city's core registration + lodging tax to confirm. Full packet, fine exposure, and stage checklist are in the $49 report below.

Registration / license

Short-Term Rental Certificate of Registration

Cost$275.00

Issued byCity of Houston Administration & Regulatory Affairs Department (ARA)

ApplyOfficial STR page → · Registration portal →

Lodging / occupancy tax

Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT)

RateCity HOT is 7% of taxable lodging — confirm current rate and remittance path with Houston First

Paid toHouston First Corporation (City of Houston HOT program)

RegisterTax registration →

Key deadline (confirm at source)

On January 1, 2027, the City begins notifying platforms to remove STR listings that lack a certificate of registration.

Penalty band exists in city code

$100–$500 per day (upon conviction) · Full statute cite + what gaps trigger it → in the $49 report

🔒 In the $49 report (not free)

8 operator exposure gaps (what missing can fine / delist you)
Full city application packet (7 items + official guide PDFs)
12 official document & portal links (ordinance, how-to, HOT guide…)
Stage-specific action sequence (existing operator vs new owner)
Cited money & enforcement snapshot (fee + penalty statute + contacts)

Houston, TX · paid upgrade

Full STR compliance report — $49

Free above = core registration + tax for Houston, TX. Paid unlocks the full cited packet: penalty statute, what missing can fine or delist you (existing hosts), or the complete first-list checklist (new owners), city application items, official document links, and action sequence. Research only — not legal advice. Usually ready in minutes after payment; we guarantee delivery within 48 hours.

Existing operators: gap & fine exposure map — registration, listings, HOT path, renewals
New owners: complete first-list checklist — city packet, register, tax, then list
Cited fees, penalty language, portal, city contacts, ordinance + guide PDFs
One-time · no subscription · informational, not a clear-to-list certificate

Which describes you?

I already host / list — show gaps, fines & what to re-check New to short-term rental — complete checklist before first listing

⏳ Houston's enforcement clock is running. Code DEADLINE is applied below — $29 instead of $49, through Sept 30, because that's when the useful filing window closes. One report, your address, cited to the city's own record.

Houston, TX · stay current

Watch Houston, TX for rule changes — $9.99/mo

We re-check Houston, TX's official short-term-rental license & tax pages and email you the moment they change — a heads-up to re-check, never a legal verdict. Cancel anytime.

I agree to recurring $9.99/mo billing for Houston, TX STR-rule monitoring until I cancel.

BondPermit by AurumFlux AI · informational only, not legal advice · bondpermit.com