Houston's short-term rental framework, advanced by City Council in 2024 and limited in scope, does not require a host to remain on-site during a guest stay. Operators register and collect hotel occupancy tax, but no Chicago-style hosted-only rule applies; deed restrictions may still bar STRs.
Houston historically lacked any STR-specific licensing. In 2024 the City advanced an ordinance requiring registration, hotel occupancy tax remittance, and basic life-safety standards for short-term rentals citywide, after years of nuisance complaints. The framework focuses on operator accountability and platform data rather than imposing a hosted-only requirement under which the owner must sleep on-site during a booking. Whole-home unhosted rentals remain permissible under city law, subject to registration, tax, and any private deed restrictions. Many Houston subdivisions including River Oaks, Memorial Villages-area neighborhoods, and Heights deed-restricted blocks ban transient rentals entirely, and the City of Houston enforces those restrictions in district court under Local Government Code Chapter 212.
Operating an STR without registration or violating tax-collection or safety provisions draws City citations and fines. Deed-restriction violations support civil suits brought by the City or homeowner associations seeking injunctions and attorney fees.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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