Owasso's published Zoning Code and Community Development FAQ do not authorize whole-house short-term rentals as a residential use, and the city expressly excludes 'Bed and breakfast' and 'Inn or tourist home' from the list of activities that qualify as a permitted home occupation. Because Owasso has no separate vacation rental ordinance and no published per-unit occupancy cap, operators must obtain a use determination from the Community Development Department before listing on Airbnb or Vrbo, and lodging activity that occurs is subject to Owasso's 5% hotel tax.
The City of Owasso regulates land uses through the Owasso Zoning Code (adopted by Ordinance No. 1131, June 19, 2018; amended August 2019) and through Chapter 5 of the City Code. The published Community Development FAQ on home occupations states that 'Home occupations shall be conducted only within the principal structure,' that the area used for the home occupation 'shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent' of the floor area, and that the activity 'shall be engaged in only by the family or person occupying the dwelling.' The same FAQ lists uses that do NOT qualify as home occupations, including 'Bed and breakfast' and 'Inn or tourist home,' which are the closest analogues in the code to a non-owner-occupied vacation rental. Owasso has not adopted a separate short-term rental ordinance with bedroom or guest caps comparable to those in Broken Arrow or Tulsa, so there is no published numeric occupancy limit and no STR license. Rentals of 30 days or less are subject to Owasso's 5% hotel tax (collected by the city in addition to state sales tax under 68 O.S. Title 68), and the Oklahoma Tax Commission requires a Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration for lodging activity. Tulsa County does not impose its own STR occupancy cap on incorporated areas of Owasso, so any city or zoning-district determination from Owasso's Community Development Department is controlling. Operators considering a vacation rental should request a written zoning determination, confirm the underlying district allows the use, and verify hotel-tax registration before accepting bookings.
Operating a bed-and-breakfast, inn, tourist home, or non-owner-occupied vacation rental as a home occupation is expressly excluded by Owasso's home-occupation rules and is enforceable by Owasso Code Enforcement and the Community Development Department. Failure to remit the city's 5% hotel tax on rentals under 30 days is a separate violation. Remedies include cease-and-desist notices, daily fines through Owasso Municipal Court, and back-tax assessments by the Owasso Finance Department.
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