LicensedRental

Brewster County, Texas

Alpine, TX vacation rental requirements

Alpine requires a short-term rental special use permit ($500, with a public hearing and a fire inspection), then a $250 yearly registration. The application needs a dimensioned floor plan with evacuation routes and a parking plan, and a local representative who can reach the home within 30 minutes. Stays owe 6% state plus 7% city hotel tax, filed with the city.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026

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Market
About 170 Airbnb listings
City permit
Special use permit, $500
Approved at a public hearing; neighbors within 200 feet are notified.Source
Yearly registration
$250
Local representative
On site within 30 minutes
Reachable by phone 24 hours a day.Source
Drawings
Floor plan and parking plan
Floor plan with room dimensions, sleeping areas, evacuation routes, and extinguishers; site plan showing legal parking.Source
Hotel taxes
6% state + 7% city
Airbnb doesn’t collect the city tax; file monthly.Source

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of Texas

  1. 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

    Texas hotel occupancy tax →

  2. 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

  3. 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

Brewster County, Texas

  1. 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

  2. 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. Brewster County charges a 7% hotel tax. It isn’t on Airbnb’s collection list, so file the county’s monthly report and pay by the 20th of the next month to Brewster County, 107 W Ave E #4, Alpine, TX 79830. In Alpine you also owe the city’s 7%; ask the treasurer whether the county tax applies inside the city.Source

City of Alpine

  1. Prepare the drawings and exhibits

    You need a sketch floor plan with dimensioned rooms showing sleeping areas, evacuation routes, and fire extinguisher locations; a site plan or survey showing how many vehicles can park on the property (not on the street, sidewalk, or alley); a letter on how the rental affects the neighborhood; and the guest information sheet you’ll leave in the home.Source

  2. Apply for the special use permit

    Submit the notarized application packet with the $500 fee to Building Services, 309 W. Sul Ross Ave., with your HOA declaration, insurance declaration, ID, and proof of ownership. The city notifies neighbors within 200 feet and the council holds a public hearing.Source

    Alpine short-term rental permit →

  3. Pass the fire inspection

    The Building Official inspects before the permit is issued and sets your maximum occupancy. One follow-up is included; more cost $35 each. Call Building Services at 432-837-3281 once your packet and fee are in.Source

  4. Register every year

    After approval, register with the city each year ($250) using the annual renewal form.Source

  5. 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. Alpine’s 7% hotel tax isn’t on Airbnb’s collection list. Report it to the city monthly, even with no rentals, and mail the report with payment to City Hall, c/o Finance – HOT Payments, 100 N. 13th St. Not paying is grounds for losing the permit.Source

Fees

$500 to apply, then $250 a year

Special use permit application (per unit, non-refundable)$500
Annual registration$250
Extra inspections after the first follow-up$35 each

Source

Inspection checklist

What the inspector looks for, from City of Alpine’s published checklist.

  • Smoke alarmsIn every sleeping room.Source
  • Carbon monoxide alarmsAs the fire code requires.Source
  • Fire extinguisherOr a sprinkler system.Source
  • EgressEvery sleeping room and basement has an egress window or exterior door.Source
  • GuardrailsOn stairs, decks, and balconies over 30 inches high.Source
  • House numberClearly visible from the street.Source

Sources

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.