Guide · Cost to run
What it costs to run a Houston short-term rental.
Houston's certificate is a flat $275 a year, so the cost that matters is the 17% hotel tax and the compliance steps the city now enforces through platforms.
The short answer
Four numbers to know
| Certificate | $275 a year per property Renewal applications are due 90 days before the certificate expires. Some sources mention a small administrative fee on top, which we could not confirm on the city site, so check the application. |
|---|---|
| Hotel tax | 17% of the stay 6% state, 7% City of Houston, 2% Harris County and 2% Harris County–Houston Sports Authority. |
| Contact | 24-hour contact, one-hour response Posted at the property, with the certificate at the front entrance and the registration number in every listing. |
| Penalties | $100 to $500 per violation Certificates can also be denied or revoked for unpaid hotel taxes or repeated nuisance violations. |
Fixed cost
What the certificate costs
The columns show how many booked nights, at an example nightly rate before tax, cover the certificate (examples, not forecasts).
| Item | Amount | Nights at $150 | Nights at $250 | Nights at $400 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate, new or renewal | $275 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
Source: City of Houston short-term rental ordinance overview, read October 7, 2026. The fee rests on that overview; confirm any added administrative fee at the time you apply. Not included: insurance, HOA rules and annual human trafficking awareness training.
Guest-paid, but it shapes your price
The tax stack on a stay
An illustration: 3 nights at $300 is a $900 rental price. At the combined rate, tax comes to about $153.00.
| Tax | Rate | On the $900 example |
|---|---|---|
| State of Texas | 6.0% | $54.00 |
| City of Houston | 7.0% | $63.00 |
| Harris County | 2.0% | $18.00 |
| Harris County–Houston Sports Authority | 2.0% | $18.00 |
| Total | 17.0% | $153.00 |
This is a simplified illustration on the base rental price. Listings only on Airbnb do not need proof of hotel tax remittance to register, but other listings do. Platforms collect on their own bookings, so confirm what is collected for you before you price.
What the city requires
Beyond the fee
| Registration | Required for stays under 30 days Rules took effect January 1, 2026. Operating, renting or advertising without a certificate is unlawful. |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Listings removed within 10 business days The city says it will begin notifying platforms about unregistered listings on January 1, 2027. |
| Rules | One-night minimum, no event-space ads Plus annual human trafficking awareness training. |
Full sourced rules, with evidence for each line, are on the Houston market page. For another Texas market, see the Austin cost guide or the Dallas page.
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