Baytown, TX Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)
Key Facts
- Contact required
- 24-hour local contact person
- Distance limit
- Within 50 miles of the property
- Response time
- On-site within 1 hour if requested
- Who can request
- Police or Fire Department
Summary
Every Baytown short-term rental must designate a 24-hour local contact person, based within 50 miles of the property, who must be available at all times and physically present on-site within one hour if the Police or Fire Department requests it.
f. A twenty-four (24) hour local contact person shall be designated to respond to emergencies or neighborhood complaints. The contact person shall be available at all times and, if requested by the Police or Fire Department, shall be present on-site within one (1) hour of notification.
Full Breakdown
Subsec. ' That designation carries through into the operating standards: Subsec. ' The rule gives first responders and neighbors someone to reach immediately when a problem arises at the rental, rather than routing complaints through an out-of-town owner or an anonymous booking platform. The requirement doesn't stop at simply naming someone: Subsec. 33-3(G)(7)(h) also requires that the property rules and the contact person's contact information be posted inside the rental in a visible location near the primary entrance, so guests and responding officers can find it without hunting.
Because the contact-person rule sits inside the same 'Residential Character' compliance list as the parking and occupancy rules, failing to keep an available, responsive, within-50-mile contact designated is treated as a violation feeding into the STR's compliance record.
Violations & Fines
Failing to maintain a responsive 24-hour local contact person, having a contact more than 50 miles away, or failing to have that contact present on-site within one hour of a Police or Fire Department request is a violation of Subsec. 2.33-3(G)(7)(f); it counts toward the three-violations-in-12-months standard in Subsec. 2.33-3(G)(8)(c) that authorizes the Director of Planning and Development Services to revoke the short-term rental permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my STR's local contact person live in another state?
How fast must the contact person respond to a police request?
Where does the contact information need to be posted?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baytown
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