The City of Fulshear has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental (STR) registration, licensing, or permit ordinance in its Code of Ordinances (available through Municode at library.municode.com/tx/fulshear). No city-level Airbnb or vacation-rental permit is currently required to operate an STR within Fulshear's corporate limits. Operators are still subject to Texas Tax Code Chapter 156 (state Hotel Occupancy Tax, 6% on stays under 30 days) and to the Fort Bend County hotel occupancy tax adopted under Tax Code Chapter 352 (effective October 1, 2024, with full enforcement of bookings beginning May 1, 2025). General Fulshear ordinances - zoning, nuisance, noise, parking, occupancy and building/fire codes - continue to apply to STR properties even though no STR-specific permit exists. HOA covenants in master-planned communities such as Cross Creek Ranch, Fulshear Run, Cross Creek West, and Tamarron frequently restrict or prohibit short-term rentals independently of city law.
A direct review of the Fulshear Code of Ordinances on Municode (library.municode.com/tx/fulshear/codes/code_of_ordinances) shows no chapter or article governing short-term rentals, vacation rentals, transient lodging, or home-sharing as a distinct land use. The city has not enacted an STR registration program of the kind adopted by larger Texas municipalities such as Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Austin (under separate suit), or Houston (Ordinance No. 2025-130, ARA-administered registration). State law authorizes - but does not require - municipalities to regulate STRs through zoning and to collect a municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax under Texas Tax Code Chapter 351 (max 7% in most general-law cities). HB 2127 (88R, 2023, 'Texas Regulatory Consistency Act') was enjoined and held unconstitutional in August 2023, but in any event preserved local authority over STRs through the Local Government Code; it does not bar Fulshear from later adopting an STR ordinance. Until and unless Fulshear City Council acts, the relevant requirements for an STR operator are: (1) State Hotel Occupancy Tax (Tex. Tax Code Sec. 156.051) - 6% of gross room receipts on stays under 30 consecutive days, remitted to the Texas Comptroller; STR platforms (Airbnb, Vrbo) collect and remit on host bookings under voluntary collection agreements but hosts remain liable. (2) Fort Bend County Hotel Occupancy Tax under Tax Code Chapter 352 - the Commissioners Court adopted the county HOT effective October 1, 2024; hosts in unincorporated areas and within Fulshear's portion of Fort Bend County must register with the county and file monthly returns, with full enforcement on bookings/stays starting May 1, 2025. (3) Compliance with Fulshear's Unified Development Code (Code of Ordinances, Chapter 28) on residential land uses, parking, and accessory structures, the property maintenance and nuisance provisions, and the city's adopted International Building, Residential, and Fire Codes. (4) HOA CC&Rs and any deed restrictions, which in many Fulshear subdivisions restrict leases to terms of 6 months or 1 year minimum, effectively prohibiting STR use. Operators should monitor City Council agendas at fulsheartexas.gov for any future STR-specific ordinance.
Because Fulshear has no STR-specific permit, there is no STR-permit revocation or fine schedule. However, operating an STR can still trigger enforcement under generally applicable codes: violations of zoning (Code of Ordinances Ch. 28), noise, nuisance, parking, fire, building, or occupancy provisions are punishable as Class C misdemeanors with fines typically up to $500 per violation per day under Texas Local Government Code Sec. 54.001, or up to $2,000 per day for fire/health/zoning violations under Sec. 54.001(b). Failure to collect and remit state Hotel Occupancy Tax under Tex. Tax Code Ch. 156 exposes the operator to delinquent tax, penalty (up to 10%), interest, and potential criminal liability under Sec. 156.202. Failure to register and remit Fort Bend County HOT after the May 1, 2025 enforcement date subjects operators to county collection actions, penalty, and interest. HOA covenant violations are independently enforceable in district court and can result in injunctions and attorney-fee awards under Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 209.
See how other cities in Fort Bend County handle permit requirements.
See how Fulshear's permit requirements rules stack up against other locations.
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