El Paso does not require an STR host to be physically present during guest stays. Whole-home rentals where the host lives elsewhere are explicitly permitted under Chapter 7, Section 7.10, consistent with Texas Local Government Code Chapter 229.
El Paso treats hosted and unhosted bookings identically for registration purposes. The City requires every STR to designate a local responsible party reachable within one hour for complaints, but that contact does not have to live at the property or stay during bookings. Property managers, family members, or 24/7 answering services satisfy the requirement. State preemption under HB 1620 (2025) further blocks any move toward an LA-style host-presence-only rule, since Texas courts have treated such restrictions as functional bans on whole-home STR use.
Failure to keep an updated 24-hour responsible party on the registration is a Class C citation. Repeat unresponsive complaints can lead to STR registration suspension and fines accumulating per occurrence.
El Paso, TX
El Paso requires short-term rental operators to register with the city, obtain a Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) permit, and comply with Chapter 3.20 and Chapter 2...
El Paso, TX
Short-term rentals in El Paso are subject to the same Chapter 9.40 noise limits as other residences, including 50 dB(A) nighttime property-line cap and the 1...
See how El Paso's host presence rule rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.