Lago Vista, TX short-term rental permit
In Lago Vista the permit is built around a head count. You state the maximum number of occupants when you apply. From then on, nobody may push the number of people in the dwelling past that figure.[3]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified October 1, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Lago Vista?
Get a permit first
What you apply for: Short-term occupancy permit
- Seasonal homes
- 252
- Housing units
- 4,926
- Residents
- 9,650
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City rulePermit required
- City fee$50
- Tax on each stay12%
- Seasonal homes51 per 1,000
Lago Vista short-term rental permit
Lago Vista requires a short-term occupancy permit before a home in an R-1 or R-2 zoning district is rented short term. Section 23 of the zoning ordinance names the R-O and RR-A districts as well. The application starts with a scale plat or plot plan on 8-1/2 x 11 sheets. It shows the lot with the dwelling. It also marks the parking, the driveway and any garage. Any agent who will manage or rent the property is listed with a phone number. The owner signs. Each dwelling needs two parking spaces. Nobody may park in the street right-of-way or on an unimproved surface. A short-term occupancy that comes with another code violation, such as noise, trash or parking, becomes a zoning violation too. The property owner is held responsible. Fines start at $500 for a first violation, then $750 for each later one at the same property.[3]
What Lago Vista asks of you
Section 23 bars short-term occupancy in R-1, R-O, RR-A and R-2 unless the city has issued a short-term occupancy permit.[3]
The code's table of allowed uses marks short-term occupancy in R-1 and R-2, subject to Section 23. It marks it without that reference in the R-4 multifamily and CR resort districts.[5]
That table has no R-O column. Its RR-A column is blank for short-term occupancy.[5]
The fee schedule in Appendix A of the code sets the short-term occupancy permit at $50.[6]
The application lists the property owner and any agents for the owner, with their contact information.[3]
The city's tax page applies its 6% hotel occupancy tax to lodging within the city limits, short-term rentals included.[8]
Section 4.1301 of the code levies the same 6% on sleeping rooms in the city or in its extraterritorial jurisdiction.[7]
Filing late forfeits 5% of the tax due. Thirty days past the due date, another 5% is added.[7]
What Texas asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Texas issues no state short-term rental license. What the state does impose is its hotel occupancy tax. The Comptroller applies it to houses, condominiums and apartments, not only to hotels.[1]
A room priced at $15 or more a day owes the state 6 percent. Local hotel taxes start lower, at $2 a day for a sleeping room. The local taxing authority collects those itself.[1]
After thirty consecutive days without interruption, a guest becomes a permanent resident, exempt from the tax. A guest who announces that plan in writing is exempt from the date of the notice. Any interruption voids it.[2]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in Lago Vista
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Texas state hotel occupancy tax[1] | 6% | The state revenue department |
| Lago Vista hotel occupancy tax[8] | 6% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 12% |
Send the city its quarterly hotel occupancy tax report for every quarter, including one with nothing to pay. Questions go to the Finance Director's Office.[8]
Airbnb taxes for hostsWhat the census counts
How much of Lago Vista is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 252 of Lago Vista's 4,926 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 51 out of every 1,000. It ranks Lago Vista 14th of the 23 Texas cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 14th of 23
- Share of housing
- 51 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $420,000
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Lago Vista sits among its neighbors
Houston, TX
Permit required
Each rental inside city limits needs a certificate of registration. Operating or advertising without one is unlawful.
Houston short-term rental rulesMarble Falls, TX
Permit required
179 seasonal homes, 51 per 1,000 housing units.
Marble Falls short-term rental rulesCorpus Christi, TX
Registration required
3,322 seasonal homes, 24 per 1,000 housing units.
Corpus Christi short-term rental rulesGun Barrel City, TX
Permit required
254 seasonal homes, 76 per 1,000 housing units.
Gun Barrel City short-term rental rulesFAQ
Lago Vista short-term rental questions
What counts as short-term occupancy in Lago Vista?
How much is the Lago Vista short-term occupancy permit?
When is the Lago Vista hotel tax due?
Sources
- Hotel Occupancy Tax, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, read on September 20, 2026
- Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemptions (publication 96-224), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, read on September 20, 2026
- Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Exhibit A, Section 23, Short-Term Occupancy, City of Lago Vista, read on October 1, 2026
- Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Exhibit A, Section 2-10, Definitions, City of Lago Vista, read on October 1, 2026
- Code of Ordinances, Chapter 14, Table B, Table of Allowed Uses for Zoning, City of Lago Vista, read on October 1, 2026
- Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Article 7.000, Zoning and Annexation Fees, City of Lago Vista, read on October 1, 2026
- Code of Ordinances, Article 4.1300, Hotel Occupancy Tax, City of Lago Vista, read on October 1, 2026
- Taxes, hotel occupancy tax rate, City of Lago Vista, read on October 1, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on October 1, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
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