LicensedRental

Dallas County, Texas

Garland, TX vacation rental requirements

Garland licenses short-term rentals every year for $500, with an annual inspection, proof of liability insurance, a 48-hour minimum stay, and no guest parking on the street. Airbnb collects Garland’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 200 Airbnb listings
City license
$500 a year
With an annual inspection and proof of liability insurance.Source
Minimum stay
48 hours
Hotel taxes
6% state + 7% city
Airbnb collects both.Source

Repeat violators can be put on a compliance agreement or lose their license. These rules come from a 2025 news report; confirm the application steps with the city.

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

Dallas 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 Garland

  1. Get the yearly license

    Apply for Garland’s short-term rental license, show proof of liability insurance, and pass the yearly inspection. The fee rose to $500 a year in 2025.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. Airbnb collects Garland’s 7% hotel tax. For direct bookings, register and file with the city.Source

Fees

$500 a year

Short-term rental license (annual)$500

Source

Inspection checklist

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

  • Annual city inspection

House rules for guests

Parking
No guest parking on the street
City marshals can cite guests.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.