LicensedRental

Harris County, Texas

Baytown, TX vacation rental requirements

Baytown replaced its council special use permit with a yearly short-term rental permit in 2026. Each home passes a fire marshal inspection, has a local contact within 50 miles, and is capped at ten guests with one parking space per bedroom plus one. Stays owe 17% hotel tax; you file the 7% city tax yourself.

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 130 Airbnb listings
City permit
Required, renewed yearly
Ordinance on the July 9, 2026 council agenda; fee not stated.Source
Inspection
Fire marshal, before opening and at each renewal
Guests
2 per bedroom + 2, max 10
Parking
One space per bedroom + 1
Hotel taxes
6% state + 7% city + 2% county + 2% sports authority
Airbnb collects all but the city tax.Source

Before 2026 a short-term rental in a residential zone needed a special use permit from City Council; the first was approved December 11, 2025. The copy of the new ordinance we read was the council agenda draft; confirm the final version and the permit fee with the city.

Three violations in 12 months can cost you the permit, with a 12-month wait to reapply. Fines run up to $2,000 a day. Part of Baytown is in Chambers County.

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

Harris County, Texas

  1. Then pick your city

    Texas counties can’t zone, so rental permits and the city hotel tax are set by each city. Pick your city, or the unincorporated page if there is one for your area.Source

  2. Register with the county tax office for direct bookings

    If guests pay you directly or through a site that doesn’t collect, file the county and sports authority hotel taxes with the Harris County Tax Office every quarter (due April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31). Fill out the New Owner Information form to open an account.Source

    Harris County hotel tax →

City of Baytown, Texas

  1. Apply for a short-term rental permit

    Apply before you advertise. List the bedrooms you rent, your parking spaces, and a 24-hour local contact who lives within 50 miles and can be at the home within an hour if police or fire ask.Source

  2. Pass the fire marshal inspection

    Have an accessible fire extinguisher, smoke detectors in every bedroom and hallway, and a carbon monoxide detector. The Fire Marshal’s Office inspects before your first guests and again at every yearly renewal; failed items need a paid re-inspection.Source

  3. Post the permit and rules

    Post the permit, your house rules and the local contact’s information inside near the main entrance.Source

  4. 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. Baytown’s 7% city hotel tax isn’t collected by Airbnb; register and file it with the city. Airbnb collects the 2% county and 2% sports authority taxes.Source

Inspection checklist

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

  • Fire extinguisherAccessible.Source
  • Smoke detectorsWorking, in bedrooms and hallways.Source
  • Carbon monoxide detector
  • Fire marshal inspectionBefore first occupancy and at each renewal.Source

House rules for guests

Minimum stay
24 hours
Source
Posted inside
Permit, house rules, local contact
Source
Sound monitors
Encouraged, not required
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.