Georgetown, TX Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Unlike some cities that restrict short-term rentals to a host's primary residence, Georgetown imposes no primary-residence requirement. The STR program adopted in Chapter 6.70 applies to any qualifying residential unit and does not require the owner to live in the home or to demonstrate that it is their primary or homestead residence. The registration documents listed by the City — government ID, owner and 24/7 local contact information, property details, listing-platform information, and (for non-owners) an authorization document — anticipate that the applicant may be a non-resident owner or a property manager acting on the owner's behalf. This means dedicated investment STRs and second homes are permitted, provided they register, designate a reachable 24-hour local contact, complete neighbor notification, and collect and remit the 7% local hotel occupancy tax. Texas state law also constrains how far cities can go: Texas courts and the Legislature have treated short-term rental of a single-family home as a residential use, limiting outright bans, which is consistent with Georgetown's registration-based (rather than residency-based) approach. Operators should still verify there is no private HOA or deed restriction barring STR use, since the City cannot enforce — or waive — private HOA rules.