Rent your property to an STR or MTR operator in Houston, TX.
Listing your Houston rental on ArbiBase is free. You sign a consent form and set your rules, vetted operators send proposals, and you decide who tours and who signs. Houston requires short-term rental registration and hotel occupancy tax, and HOA and deed restrictions often matter more than city rules.
Free to list · Free to review · Free to say no
Your property. Your rules.
Operators sign standard leases directly with you. ArbiBase is not a party to the lease, and is not a broker or property manager: we make the introduction, you run the relationship.
Signed
Nothing is listed until you sign the consent form.
You
Rental type, quiet hours, guest caps, insurance minimums, HOA limits.
Revocable
Withdraw consent whenever you like, with no penalty.
$0
Operators fund the platform. You never pay to list.
Four steps, and every one is yours to approve.
- Step 01 · List
Sign and set your rules.
Sign the consent form and set your non-negotiables: rental type (STR, MTR or both), quiet hours, guest caps, insurance minimums and HOA rules. Operators see your terms before they see your address.
- Step 02 · Check
We check the property.
A listing is Verified only after signed owner consent, a Greenlight underwriting pass (estimated revenue at least 1.5x the rent) and a Houston and ZIP rules check for your address.
- Step 03 · Receive
Vetted operators send proposals.
Each proposal shows the operator's business, insurance, track record, offered rent and lease term, side by side.
- Step 04 · Approve
You decide who tours and signs.
Review the operator's record, approve who tours, and sign a standard lease directly with the one you choose. Or decline every proposal, at no cost.
What Houston's rules mean for you as the owner.
- Short-term rentals need city registration and hotel occupancy tax.
- HOA and deed restrictions often matter more than city rules. Check yours, and attach them to your listing, before you allow stays under 30 nights.
- Stays of 30+ nights are generally treated as a standard lease in Houston.
- Taxes: Hotel occupancy tax applies to stays under 30 nights. Agree in writing who registers and who files.
- If you have an HOA or condo association, its bylaws can ban what the city allows. Attach the rules to your listing so operators work inside them. How to check your HOA rules.
Curious what an operator could earn at your address? The free Greenlight check estimates revenue against 1.5x your rent.
Full regulation record: Is Airbnb arbitrage legal in Houston? · What operators see: Rental arbitrage in Houston, TX
Last reviewed . General information, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the city or a local attorney before signing a lease.
Houston's verified rules, for your property.
STR Allowed
Verified by the ArbiBase Regulations team on . Next review .
Since 1/1/2026 every STR under 30 nights needs a $275/yr city registration. It requires owner consent and the owner's statement that STR use does not violate deed restrictions, HOA rules or the lease. Fines are $100-$500 per day, special events are banned, and registrations can be revoked for…
Primary sources: City of Houston Ordinance No. 2025-322 (adopted Apr 16, 2025; effective Jan 1, 2026) adding Ch. 28, Art. XXIII Short-Term Rentals · ARA Regulatory Permitting Policy ARA-RP-003, Short-Term Rental Registration (effective Nov 1, 2025) · ARA - Business Licensing - Short Term Rentals · ARA Press Release: Houston City Council Approves Short-Term Rental Regulations (Apr 17, 2025) · Houston Code of Ordinances, Ch. 28 Art. XXIII Short-Term Rentals (Municode).
Which kind of operator fits Houston.
Short stays
STR Allowed
Houston requires short-term rental registration and hotel occupancy tax, and HOA and deed restrictions often matter more than city rules.
Mid-term stays
Stays of 30+ nights are generally treated as a standard lease in Houston.
Who books in Houston: Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world; Energy-sector project crews; Traveling nurses on 13-week contracts.
Not sure? Mid-term rentals for landlords explains who the 30+ night guests are and what to require, and short-term or mid-term compares the two.
Questions Houston owners ask.
Can I rent my Houston property to an Airbnb operator?
It can be, with city registration and hotel occupancy tax. In Houston, HOA and deed restrictions often matter more than city rules, so check yours first. Mid-term stays of 30+ nights are generally treated as a standard lease.
Who holds the short-term rental permit or registration in Houston?
Houston requires short-term rental registration and hotel occupancy tax. Put in the lease who applies, who registers for taxes and who files, and ask to see it before the first guest. On ArbiBase you see how taxes, licensing and insurance are handled before you sign.
Can I allow mid-term stays only?
Yes. Set MTR-only (30+ nights) when you list, and operators who can't meet a rule never see the listing. Stays of 30+ nights are generally treated as a standard lease in Houston.
Does it cost anything to list my Houston property?
No. Listing is free for property owners. Operators pay for the platform; you never do. You are never obligated to sign, and you can decline every proposal at no cost.
Who signs the lease?
The operator signs a standard lease directly with you. ArbiBase is not a party to the lease, and is not a broker or property manager: we don't collect rent, supervise guests or run operations.
How are operators and listings checked in Houston?
Operators' business registration, insurance, track record and references are verified before they can view your listing. A listing is Verified only after signed owner consent, a Greenlight underwriting pass (estimated revenue at least 1.5x the rent) and a check of Houston and ZIP rules for that address.
Before you sign.
Rental arbitrage consent agreement
A clause-by-clause walkthrough of the addendum that allows an operator to host short or mid-term guests.
For landlordsHow to vet a rental arbitrage operator before you sign
The documents to ask for and the red flags to watch.
Regulation recordIs Airbnb arbitrage legal in Houston?
The full Houston rules summary: permits, mid-term stays, taxes and what to check.
Market guideRental arbitrage in Houston, TX
The operator-side guide: local rules, who books and where operators lease.
More for owners: How ArbiBase works for property owners · All landlord guides
The right Houston operator is yours to approve.
List in five minutes. Verified operators come to you, on your terms. Listing costs nothing, ever.
Free to list · Free to review · Free to say no