LicensedRental

Collin County, Texas

McKinney, TX vacation rental requirements

McKinney began requiring free yearly registration of every short-term rental in April 2026, with a contact reachable 24 hours a day. Airbnb and Vrbo collect the city’s 7% hotel tax.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

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Market
About 380 Airbnb listings
Registration
Free, every year
One registration per rental unit.Source
Local contact
Reachable 24 hours a day
Hotel taxes
6% state + 7% city
Airbnb and Vrbo collect both.Source

Operating without registering is a Class C misdemeanor.

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

Collin County, Texas

  1. Then pick your city

    Texas counties can’t zone, so short-term rental permits, zoning limits, and the local hotel tax come from the city your home is in. Outside city limits there’s usually no permit, but deed restrictions and HOA rules often limit rentals.Source

City of McKinney

  1. Register each unit

    Register every rental unit each year in the city’s Customer Self-Service portal (choose Apply and search “Short-term rental”), or in person at Development Services on the second floor of City Hall. There’s no fee.Source

    McKinney STR registration →

  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. Airbnb and Vrbo collect McKinney’s 7% hotel tax. For direct bookings, register and file with the city.Source

Fees

Free

Short-term rental registration (annual)The council may add a fee after a year.$0

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.