10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in El Paso County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
El Paso County issues no short-term-rental permit. Texas counties have no general zoning power in unincorporated areas, so STRs there operate without a county permit; only cities like El Paso, Socorro, and Horizon City may license rentals inside their limits.
El Paso County has no STR noise ordinance for unincorporated areas. Guest noise is governed by Texas's statewide unreasonable-noise law under Penal Code §42.01 (disorderly conduct), enforced by the sheriff; cities may add stricter noise limits within their limits.
El Paso County levies a 2.5% hotel occupancy tax on short-term stays under 30 days, part of a combined 17.5% (city 9%, county 2.5%, state 6%). STRs are 'hotels' for this tax, and operators file quarterly reports with the County Tax Office.
El Paso County has no short-term-rental parking ordinance for unincorporated areas because it cannot zone them. Guests typically park on-site; only cities may set STR parking standards inside their limits, and county road right-of-way rules still apply.
El Paso County sets no short-term-rental occupancy limit; it has no zoning power in unincorporated areas. The operative ceiling is Tex. Prop. Code §92.010 (up to three adults per bedroom) plus building- and fire-code occupant loads.
El Paso County does not require short-term-rental operators to carry liability insurance. With no STR permit or zoning power in unincorporated areas, coverage is left to the operator and any platform-provided host protection such as Airbnb AirCover or VRBO liability coverage.
El Paso County imposes no cap on the number of nights a short-term rental may operate. Lacking zoning authority in unincorporated areas, the county cannot limit annual rental nights; rentals may run year-round subject only to the hotel occupancy tax.
El Paso County has no short-term-rental registry. Because Texas counties cannot zone unincorporated areas, there is no county STR registration. The only county filing an operator makes is the quarterly hotel occupancy tax report to the County Tax Office.
El Paso County does not require a host to be present or on-site during short-term-rental stays. With no zoning authority in unincorporated areas, the county cannot mandate hosted rentals or a local contact; only cities may impose such rules within their limits.
El Paso County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals. Lacking zoning power in unincorporated areas, the county cannot bar non-owner-occupied or investor STRs; only cities may adopt owner-occupancy rules inside their limits.
1 cities in El Paso County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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