Cameron County imposes no primary-residence requirement on short-term rentals, and it can't — Texas counties don't zone. South Padre Island does not restrict STRs to primary residences either; whole-home investment rentals are permitted if licensed.
No primary-residence limit applies at the county level in Cameron County, which lacks zoning power over unincorporated land. Nor does South Padre Island — the county's main STR market — cap rentals to owner-occupied homes; non-owner-occupied, whole-home vacation rentals are a mainstay of the island economy and are allowed provided the operator holds a current city license, remits Hotel Occupancy Tax, and follows the STR ordinance. Investors should confirm any HOA or deed restrictions, which are private and separate from county or city law.
There is no primary-residence penalty because no such rule exists; enforcement instead targets unlicensed operation and tax or conduct violations under the applicable city STR ordinance.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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Home composting is allowed in Cameron County. Texas law protects it: an HOA cannot ban composting of yard vegetation, but a compost pile that draws pests cou...
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Cameron County has no ordinance banning or regulating artificial turf on private property. Cities may set their own rules, and an HOA may steer choices towar...
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Cameron County places no restriction on using native or drought-resistant plants. Texas law actually protects that choice: an HOA cannot ban water-conserving...
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Rainwater harvesting is legal and encouraged in Texas. Cameron County can't deny a building permit just because a project uses rainwater collection, and HOAs...
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Cameron County itself sets no lawn-watering schedule. Restrictions come from your water utility or irrigation district's state-required drought contingency p...
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There is no city-style weed ordinance for private lots, but Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 343 lets Cameron County treat overgrown weeds in the unincorpo...
See how Cameron County's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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