9 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 8 cities in Harris County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
Harris County has no short-term rental permit, registration, or licensing requirement for unincorporated areas. Texas counties lack zoning authority over land use. STRs must comply with state and county hotel occupancy taxes and private deed restrictions.
Tex. Tax Code Sec. 351.002 (Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax Authorized by Ordinance)
Sec. 351.002. TAX AUTHORIZED. (a) A municipality by ordinance may impose a tax on a person who, under a lease, concession, permit, right of access, license, contract, or agreement, pays for the use or possession or for the right to the use or possession of a room that is in a hotel, costs $2 or more each day, and is ordinarily used for sleeping.(b) The price of a room in a hotel does not in...
Harris County has no STR-specific noise rules for unincorporated areas. General state law (TX Penal Code §42.01) and private deed restrictions are the only noise controls that apply to short-term rental properties.
Short-term rentals in unincorporated Harris County are subject to 15% total hotel occupancy tax: 6% state + 7% county + 2% Harris County-Houston Sports Authority. Applies to stays of 29 nights or fewer. Airbnb and VRBO collect and remit automatically.
Tex. Tax Code Ch. 351 (Municipal Hotel Occupancy Taxes)
Sec. 351.002. TAX AUTHORIZED. (a) A municipality by ordinance may impose a tax on a person who, under a lease, concession, permit, right of access, license, contract, or agreement, pays for the use or possession or for the right to the use or possession of a room that is in a hotel, costs $2 or more each day, and is ordinarily used for sleeping.(b) The price of a room in a hotel does not includ...
Harris County has no STR-specific parking regulations for unincorporated areas. General Texas Transportation Code provisions apply to street parking. Deed restrictions and HOA rules are the primary controls on guest parking.
Harris County has no short-term rental occupancy limits for unincorporated areas. No STR-specific ordinance exists. Occupancy may be limited by the International Residential Code's bedroom and egress requirements as adopted in the county fire code.
Harris County has no insurance requirements specific to short-term rentals in unincorporated areas. Standard homeowner's insurance may not cover commercial rental activity. Platforms like Airbnb provide host protection insurance but county does not mandate coverage.
Unincorporated Harris County does not impose night caps or stay-length limits on short-term rentals. Texas counties have no general zoning authority under the Local Government Code, so STRs are permitted by-right. Operators must collect Texas state hotel occupancy tax (6%) and Harris County HOT (7%) on stays under 30 days under Tax Code Chapters 156 and 352.
Harris County imposes no host-presence requirement on short-term rentals in unincorporated areas because Texas counties lack zoning authority under Local Government Code chapter 232. Cities like Galveston and Austin require hosted listings, but Harris County treats Airbnb as a private use without host-on-site rules.
Harris County has no primary-residence-only requirement for short-term rentals because Texas counties lack comprehensive zoning authority over unincorporated areas. Investor-owned whole-home rentals operate freely. State legislation in 2025 further restricts how cities and counties can limit non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.
8 cities in Harris County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
13 verified rules • Extended Home Share, Host Platform Liability
8 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Night Caps
7 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
7 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
6 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
5 verified rules • Noise Rules, Occupancy Limits
6 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
7 verified rules • Insurance Requirements, Noise Rules
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