10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Brazoria County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Brazoria County cannot zone or permit short-term rentals in unincorporated areas. Inside a city, the city rules. Pearland requires an STR permit (Ordinance 1611, effective July 1, 2022) with a $75 application fee plus a $100 Fire Marshal inspection.
Brazoria County has no STR-specific noise ordinance. In unincorporated areas, unreasonable noise is addressed only under Texas disorderly-conduct law. Inside cities like Pearland, the municipal noise ordinance applies to STR guests.
Short-term rentals (under 30 days) owe Texas's 6% state hotel occupancy tax. Cities like Pearland add a local hotel tax under Tax Code Ch. 351; counties authorized under Ch. 352 may add up to 7% in unincorporated areas. Pearland also charges $75 + $100 permit fees.
Unincorporated Brazoria County imposes no STR parking rule. Pearland requires the owner to provide off-street parking on the premises for at least one motor vehicle per bedroom.
Pearland Code of Ordinances Ch. 20 (Ord. No. 1611)
The owner shall provide off-street parking on the premises of the short-term rental to accommodate at least one motor vehicle per bedroom.
Brazoria County sets no STR occupancy limit in unincorporated areas because it cannot zone. Pearland caps occupancy at two adults per bedroom plus two more, never exceeding ten people total including children.
Pearland Code of Ordinances Ch. 20 (Ord. No. 1611)
No more than two adult guests per bedroom, and no more than two additional adults shall be allowed in a short-term rental, except that there shall be a maximum of ten (10) persons, including adults and children.
Brazoria County imposes no STR insurance requirement, and Pearland's published short-term rental rules center on permitting, fire inspection, occupancy, parking, and tax — not a mandated liability policy. Hosts should still carry adequate coverage voluntarily.
Brazoria County and Pearland set no annual cap on the number of nights a home may be rented. A stay simply becomes a 'short-term rental' when it runs less than 30 consecutive days.
Unincorporated Brazoria County has no STR registration. Pearland requires each short-term rental to register for a permit through the Cityworks portal, tied to Ordinance 1611, before it can lawfully operate or advertise.
Neither Brazoria County nor Pearland requires the host to be present during a stay. Pearland instead ties the permit to a responsible local contact who can respond to problems, rather than mandating on-site owner presence.
Neither Brazoria County nor Pearland limits short-term rentals to a host's primary residence. Whole-home, non-owner-occupied STRs are allowed in Pearland's residential zones with a permit; unincorporated county areas impose no such restriction at all.
1 cities in Brazoria County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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