LicensedRental

Tarrant County, Texas

Arlington, TX vacation rental requirements

Arlington allows short-term rentals only in its STR Zone near the Entertainment District, the RM-12 and RMF-22 districts, and some mixed-use and planned developments. The permit is $500 a year, needs a dimensioned floor plan, a plot plan showing parking, and $1 million insurance, and passes a city inspection. You file the city’s 9% hotel 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 925 Airbnb listings
Where allowed
STR Zone, RM-12, RMF-22, some mixed-use
Check your address on the city’s STR map.Source
City permit
$500 a year
Nonrefundable; inspection before approval.Source
Drawings
Dimensioned floor plan + plot plan with parking
Guests
2 per bedroom plus 2, up to 12
Hotel taxes
6% state + 9% city
You file the city tax yourself, even for Airbnb bookings.Source

A permit can be revoked after more than two citations in 12 months. The rules applied during the 2026 World Cup with no exemptions.

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

Tarrant 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 Arlington

  1. Check the STR map

    Short-term rentals are allowed in the STR Zone near the Entertainment District (every parcel), the RM-12 and RMF-22 districts, existing homes in non-residential and mixed-use districts, and planned developments that allow 12 or more units an acre. Everywhere else they’re not.Source

  2. Open a hotel tax account

    Open your Arlington hotel occupancy tax account first (2–3 business days); the permit application asks for it. The city suggests starting 2–3 months before your first guest.Source

  3. Prepare the drawings and documents

    You need a dimensioned floor plan of the interior, a dimensioned plot plan or aerial view showing the rental’s parking spaces, a certificate of insurance ($1 million per occurrence), your host rules, and an authorization letter if you’re not the individual owner.Source

  4. Apply and pass the inspection

    Apply at ArlingtonPermits.com and pay the $500 fee. Code compliance calls within 1–2 days to schedule an inspection. Renew every year with updated documents.Source

    Arlington STR application →

  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. Arlington’s 9% hotel tax is filed monthly with the city; Airbnb doesn’t collect it.Source

Fees

$500 a year

Short-term rental permit (new or renewal, one year)$500

Fees are non-refundable. Source

Inspection checklist

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

  • Smoke detectors
  • Fire extinguisher
  • More than one exit route from roomsInspectors also look for hazards like exposed wiring.Source

House rules for guests

Quiet hours
10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
No amplified sound or outdoor gatherings.Source
Parking
Off-street spaces only
Guest vehicles are limited to the spaces on the property.Source
Events
Not allowed
Source
Trash
At the curb after 7 p.m. the night before pickup
Source
Host rules
Given to guests
Parking, noise, curfew, trash, penalties, and the local responsible party’s contact.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.