Brazos County, Texas
College Station, TX vacation rental requirements
College Station requires a yearly short-term rental permit ($100, plus a $100 inspection; $75 to renew). You need smoke alarms, CO alarms if there’s gas, a fire extinguisher on each floor, and a guest brochure. Stays owe 6% state, 7% city, and 3% county hotel tax; Airbnb collects only the state share, so you file the city tax monthly.
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 page doesn’t cover zoning, occupancy limits, or parking. Ask Code Enforcement before you buy.
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
Brazos County, Texas
Then your city
Texas counties can’t zone, so rental rules come from the city your home is in. Outside city limits there’s usually no permit, but deed restrictions and HOA rules may limit rentals. Pick your city.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. Brazos County reports a 3% hotel tax. Airbnb doesn’t collect it; ask the county how to register and file.Source
City of College Station
Apply for a permit
Apply on the city’s short-term rental portal and schedule the inspection. Permits last one year. Even a single football weekend needs a permit.Source
Get the safety items in
Install working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors if the unit uses gas or propane, and one fire extinguisher per floor. Leave guests a brochure with neighborhood information, your contact, and emergency numbers.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. File College Station’s 7% on the same portal every month by the 20th, even with no stays. Airbnb doesn’t collect it. Brazos County’s 3% is separate.Source
Fees
$200 the first year, $75 a year after
| Permit | $100 |
|---|---|
| Inspection | $100 |
| Failed inspection | $124 |
| Annual renewal | $75 |
Inspection checklist
What the inspector looks for, from City of College Station’s published checklist.
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 Housing · City of College Station
- Hotel Occupancy Tax · City of College Station
- Texas Airbnb market data (active listings) · AirROI
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.