Brazos County, TX Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Brazos County has not adopted any short-term rental occupancy ordinance for unincorporated areas, and Tex. Loc. Gov. Code §233.153 bars the county from adopting zoning under that subchapter or requiring prior approval before new residential construction begins. There is no county-imposed limit on the number of overnight guests, the number of bedrooms that may be rented, or guest-to-bedroom ratios. The practical occupancy ceiling for an unincorporated STR is set by the on-site septic system: 30 TAC Chapter 285 (administered locally by the Brazos County On-Site Sewage Facility program) sizes systems by bedroom count, and exceeding the design loading risks system failure and is a violation of TCEQ rules. Inside the City of College Station, the STR overlay in the Unified Development Ordinance limits Type 1 and Type 2 STRs and ties occupancy to bedroom count plus city building-code limits. Inside the City of Bryan, STR registration applies and the adopted International Property Maintenance Code typically requires at least 70 sq ft for the first occupant and 50 sq ft per additional occupant in a sleeping room. Confirm current OSSF design-occupancy with Brazos County Development Services at 979-361-4275 and city STR rules with Bryan or College Station planning before listing.