Pasadena, TX (Harris County) has no dedicated short-term rental permit or registration program. The city's Code of Ordinances Chapter 34, Article III regulates only traditional hotels/motels (60+ units on highway frontage), so Airbnb and Vrbo hosts in single-family homes are not required to register with the city or obtain an STR-specific permit.
Unlike Pasadena, California, Pasadena, Texas has not adopted a stand-alone short-term rental ordinance. Chapter 34, Article III of the Code of Ordinances (Hotel Occupancy Tax) defines a 'hotel' broadly to include 'tourist homes, houses or courts, lodging houses, inns, rooming houses, or other buildings where rooms are furnished for a consideration' (Sec. 34-31), which sweeps STRs into the city's 7% hotel occupancy tax. However, Sec. 34-39 limits hotel/motel development to 60+ unit projects on tracts abutting limited-access highways or major thoroughfares, so existing single-family STRs are not treated as hotel uses for development-permit purposes. Texas has no statewide STR preemption or registration mandate. Hosts should still confirm property tax and HOA restrictions independently.
Operating without remitting the 7% hotel occupancy tax or filing quarterly reports under Sec. 34-34 may result in suit by the city attorney, a 15% penalty on tax owed, attorney's fees, and an injunction against operation (Sec. 34-37).
See how other cities in Harris County handle registration rules.
See how Pasadena's registration rules rules stack up against other locations.
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