10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Lubbock County, Texas.
Verified from official government sources
To run a short-term rental (any stay under 30 days) in the City of Lubbock you must obtain an annual operating license, and the property must sit in a residential zoning district. Texas counties cannot zone, so unincorporated Lubbock County issues no STR permit.
City of Lubbock Short-Term Rental Ordinance (eff. Jan. 1, 2020)
To operate an STR in the City of Lubbock, you will need to obtain an operating license from the City of Lubbock. You will need to renew this license yearly. ... The City of Lubbock requires that all STRs must be in a residential zoning district.
The City of Lubbock runs a 24/7 STR complaint hotline (806-955-6144) for noise and other issues. STRs must obey the city's general noise ordinance. Unincorporated Lubbock County has no noise ordinance; Texas Penal Code 42.01 disorderly-conduct noise applies.
City of Lubbock Short-Term Rental FAQ
There is now a citizen complaint hotline for reporting any issues with a short-term rental. This is a 24/7 hotline. Call 806-955-6144 to file your complaints.
STR hosts owe the City of Lubbock a 7% local hotel occupancy tax each month, on top of the state's 6% hotel tax. Lubbock County also collects its own HOT. Stays of 30-plus consecutive days are exempt as permanent-resident (long-term) rentals.
City of Lubbock STR FAQ; Tex. Tax Code 156.052, 351.003
You are required to pay local hotel occupancy taxes (HOT) of seven percent (7%) each month. This is a separate amount from the state taxes that Airbnb and other listing sites take care of on your behalf.
The City of Lubbock STR ordinance sets no special parking requirement; standard residential zoning and street-parking rules apply. Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone, so it imposes no STR parking rule. Guests park under the city's ordinary residential parking code.
Neither the City of Lubbock STR ordinance nor Lubbock County sets a specific guest-occupancy cap for short-term rentals. General residential building and life-safety code occupancy applies. Texas counties cannot zone, so no county occupancy limit exists in unincorporated areas.
Neither the City of Lubbock STR ordinance nor Lubbock County requires hosts to carry specific short-term-rental liability insurance. Coverage is left to the owner and any platform. Texas counties cannot zone, so no county insurance rule applies in unincorporated areas.
The City of Lubbock places no cap on the number of nights per year an STR may rent. The only threshold is per stay: a rental is short-term if under 30 consecutive days; 30-plus days is a long-term rental needing no registration or tax.
City of Lubbock Short-Term Rental Ordinance (eff. Jan. 1, 2020)
A short-term rental (STR), often referred to as a vacation rental, is a residential unit or accessory dwelling unit, rented temporarily for less than 30 consecutive days.
City of Lubbock STR owners must register through the city's third-party site, Deckard Technologies, and renew each calendar year. Registration carries a $100 annual fee, currently waived through January 30, 2026. Unincorporated Lubbock County has no formal STR registration process.
City of Lubbock Short-Term Rental Ordinance (eff. Jan. 1, 2020)
You must register your STR with Deckard Technologies, our third-party site. The registration includes a $100 annual registration fee, that will be waived through January 30, 2026.
The City of Lubbock does not require an STR host to be on-site, but every STR must name a contact person (owner, operator or agent) with a 24-hour telephone number who can respond to complaints. Unincorporated Lubbock County sets no host-presence rule.
City of Lubbock Short-Term Rental Ordinance (eff. Jan. 1, 2020)
The name, address, and 24-hour telephone number of a contact person (owner, operator, or designated agent) who shall be responsible and authorized to respond to complaints concerning the use of the STR.
The City of Lubbock does not require an STR to be the owner's primary residence; it only requires the unit be in a residential zoning district and registered. Non-owner-occupied (whole-home) STRs are permitted. Unincorporated Lubbock County cannot zone.
City of Lubbock Short-Term Rental Ordinance (eff. Jan. 1, 2020)
The City of Lubbock requires that all STRs must be in a residential zoning district.
1 cities in Lubbock County have their own short-term rentals rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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