10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Bell County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Bell County has no zoning power, so it issues no STR permits. Inside Killeen you need an annual STR permit (first year $200, including inspection). Temple bans rentals under 30 days in residential zones. Unincorporated areas have no STR permit at all.
Killeen Code of Ordinances § 31-953
Short-Term rental permits 1st year: $200 – includes initial inspection fee. Short-Term rental permit renewals: $100.
Bell County has no noise ordinance. STR noise is controlled by the host city's noise code (Killeen or Temple) and, in unincorporated areas, only by the Texas disorderly-conduct 'unreasonable noise' statute. Temple expressly requires STR operators to follow its general noise ordinances.
STR stays under 30 days owe hotel occupancy tax at three levels: Texas state 6%, Bell County 2%, and the city (Killeen 7%). Bell County's county tax is authorized by Texas Tax Code Chapter 352 and applies to unincorporated areas.
Bell County has no STR parking ordinance and cannot create one. Any parking requirement comes from the host city's code and its general residential parking and nuisance rules. Killeen's STR program does not publish a specific guest-parking mandate; Temple applies its standard residential parking standards.
Tex. Transp. Code Sec. 545.302 (Stopping, Standing, or Parking Prohibited in Certain Places)
Sec. 545.302. STOPPING, STANDING, OR PARKING PROHIBITED IN CERTAIN PLACES. (a) An operator may not stop, stand, or park a vehicle:(1) on the roadway side of a vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street;(2) on a sidewalk;(3) in an intersection;(4) on a crosswalk;(5) between a safety zone and the adjacent curb or within 30 feet of a place on the curb immediately opposite th...
Bell County sets no occupancy caps because it cannot zone. Killeen has not adopted zoning or saturation limits on STRs. Temple limits STRs to two adults per bedroom (and generally bars under-30-day rentals residentially). Unincorporated county has no occupancy rule.
City of Killeen STR Program FAQ
At this time, the City has not implemented any zoning or saturation limits on STRs.
Bell County requires no STR insurance and cannot mandate it. Killeen requires proof of at least $500,000 in liability insurance, including personal injury liability, active for the full permit term. Temple also requires proof of insurance at registration. Unincorporated areas have no requirement.
Killeen Code of Ordinances § 31-953
proof of insurance for the property, with a minimum coverage of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000.00) in liability insurance, which must include personal injury liability
There is no annual night cap on short-term rentals in Bell County. The county cannot zone, and Killeen's program sets no limit on rented nights per year. Temple instead bars rentals of 30 days or less in residential districts. Unincorporated areas have no cap.
Bell County has no STR registry. Killeen requires annual registration of any property rented for under 30 days through its online vendor (Neumo), plus a passing inspection. Temple requires a registration form but bans under-30-day rentals residentially. Unincorporated county has no registry.
Killeen Code of Ordinances § 31-953
A short-term rental (STR) is any property—such as a room, home, or guest house—rented for less than 30 days.
No Bell County or Killeen rule requires the host to be present during an STR stay, and the county cannot impose one. Killeen requires a local contact for enforcement but not on-site presence. Temple generally bars under-30-day residential rentals regardless of host presence.
No Bell County rule requires an STR to be the owner's primary residence, and the county cannot make one. Killeen allows non-owner-occupied (investor) STRs and imposes no primary-residence requirement. Temple effectively bars under-30-day rentals in residential zones regardless of who owns them.
1 cities in Bell County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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