Cameron County, Texas
Port Isabel, TX vacation rental requirements
Port Isabel requires a short-term rental license before you advertise. Stays owe 6% state, 7% city, and 3% county hotel taxes; 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 FAQ doesn’t list a license fee, inspection, or occupancy rules, and gives both monthly and quarterly filing. Ask the Finance Department.
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
Cameron 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
File the county hotel tax
Register your rental in the Localgov portal (choose Cameron County, Texas) and file the county return by the 20th of each month, even with no rentals. Late returns owe a 5% penalty after 30 days.Source
City of Port Isabel, Texas
Get the license and register for city tax
Register your rental with the city’s Finance Department and get a short-term rental license before you advertise or rent.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. Port Isabel’s 7% hotel tax isn’t collected by Airbnb; file it with the city (monthly, per the city’s FAQ). Cameron County’s tax is filed with the county.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
- Cameron County Hotel Tax Information (HOT) · Cameron County
- Port Isabel MuniRevs FAQ · City of Port Isabel (MuniRevs)
- Texas beach towns Airbnb market data (active homes) · 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.