Aransas County, Texas
Rockport, TX vacation rental requirements
Rockport requires every short-term rental to register with the city before it operates (Ordinance 1928). Stays owe 6% state plus 7% city hotel tax; Airbnb collects only the state tax.
Checked against official sources November 8, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
The city’s pages don’t list the registration fee, inspection, or occupancy rules in Ordinance 1928. Ask the Building Department before you list.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of Texas
Know who pays the hotel tax
Airbnb collects and pays the 6% state hotel tax on its bookings. If guests pay you directly or through a site that doesn’t collect, register with the Comptroller and file the state tax yourself.Source
Register for local hotel tax
Your city (and in some places your county) charges its own hotel tax, filed with that city or county, not the state. Airbnb pays it only in the places on its list; everywhere else you register and file it yourself, even for Airbnb bookings.Source
Check your city’s rules
Many Texas cities require a short-term rental permit or registration, and some require an inspection, a local contact, or posted rules. Outside city limits there’s usually no permit, but deed restrictions and HOA rules often limit rentals. Pick your area for the local rules.Source
Aransas County, Texas
Then pick your city
Texas counties can’t zone, so rental permits and the local hotel tax are set by each city. Pick your city, or the unincorporated page if you’re outside city limits.Source
Hotel taxes on each stay
Stays of 29 nights or less owe the 6% state hotel tax, which Airbnb collects on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, file it with the Texas Comptroller. Aransas County reports a 7% county hotel tax; Airbnb doesn’t collect it. County hotel taxes usually apply outside city limits; ask the County Treasurer whether it applies at your address and how to file.Source
City of Rockport, Texas
Register the rental
Register online through the city’s short-term rental portal and upload the required documents before your first guest.Source
Hotel taxes on each stay
Stays of 29 nights or less owe the 6% state hotel tax, which Airbnb collects on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, file it with the Texas Comptroller. Rockport’s 7% hotel tax applies to VRBO and Airbnb rentals and isn’t on Airbnb’s collection list, so register with the city and file it yourself.Source
Sources
- Hotel Occupancy Tax FAQs: Airbnb · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Texas · Airbnb
- County zoning authority (Local Government Code ch. 231) · Texas Legislature
- Local Hotel Occupancy Tax Reporting 2025 · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (data.texas.gov)
- Short-term rental registration news flash (April 4, 2025) · City of Rockport Building Department
- Hotel Motel Tax · City of Rockport
- Texas beach towns Airbnb market data (active homes) · AirROI
- Short Term Rentals · City of Rockport Building Department
A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.