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

Code of Ordinances § 10-465(a) makes it unlawful for a short-term rental owner or operator to rent, allow, provide, or advertise space for more than two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons. Subsection (b) adds a hard ceiling regardless of bedroom count: no more than 12 people, including children, may occupy the rental at any one time, and the owner or operator cannot allow the occupant count to exceed whatever maximum occupancy figure is printed on the property's permit or renewal permit. Subsection (c) gives enforcement teeth to the cap: if a city employee visually counts more than 12 people at the premises, that observation alone is prima facie evidence and probable cause to issue a citation, without needing to individually verify each occupant's status.

The occupancy limit sits inside a broader 2025 short-term rental permitting scheme (Ord. No. 012-25). Every short-term rental needs an annual permit that expires January 31 (§ 10-457), requires proof of $1,000,000 in liability insurance (§ 10-460), and undergoes an initial and quarterly safety inspection covering smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and carbon monoxide detectors (§ 10-461). m. on Sunday (§ 10-473). Parking is separately capped at four vehicles in approved off-street spaces (§ 10-466), and stays under 24 hours are banned outright (§ 10-467).