Marble Falls, TX short-term rental permit
A permit comes first in Marble Falls, and the city will not issue it until the rental has passed inspection. Its 2021 ordinance writes hotel occupancy tax collection into its purpose, so the permit and the tax account work as one obligation.[3]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 20, 2026.
Can you rent short term in Marble Falls?
Get a permit first
What you apply for: Short-Term Rental permit
- Seasonal homes
- 179
- Housing units
- 3,483
- Residents
- 7,752
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City rulePermit required
- City fee$175
- Tax on each staySet locally
- Seasonal homes51 per 1,000
Marble Falls short-term rental permit
Marble Falls requires a permit to operate a short-term rental. It defines one as the rental of a residential premise, or part of one, for lodging accommodation for less than thirty consecutive days. The rules come from ordinance 2021-O-11A. Its stated purpose is to regulate the use of single-family residential dwellings as short-term rentals and minimize the negative impact on surrounding properties. It also aims to ensure that hotel occupancy tax is collected and paid. An application carries the name, address and contact details of the property owner and of the operator or agent if there is one. It carries the same details for a designated local responsible party. It also includes a plot plan of the premises identifying the parking spaces to be used. A floor plan identifies the bedrooms, the other living spaces and the emergency evacuation routes. Every short-term rental is inspected before a permit is issued and again before it is renewed. The inspection confirms it meets the minimum health and safety requirements for use and occupancy. The permit fee is $175 once the application is approved, and permits are renewed annually.[3]
What Marble Falls asks of you
A short-term rental is the rental of a residential premise, or a portion of one, for lodging accommodation for less than thirty consecutive days. A permit is required to operate one.[3]
Ordinance 2021-O-11A regulates the use of single-family residential dwellings as short-term rentals, to minimize the impact on surrounding properties and to ensure hotel occupancy tax is collected and paid.[3]
The application names the property owner, the operator or agent if any, and a designated local responsible party, with contact details for each.[3]
It must include a plot plan identifying the parking spaces to be used, and a floor plan identifying bedrooms, other living spaces and emergency evacuation routes.[3]
Every short-term rental is inspected before a permit is issued and before it is renewed, against the minimum health and safety requirements for use and occupancy.[3]
The permit fee is $175 once the application is approved, and permits are renewed annually.[3]
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 Marble Falls
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 |
| Marble Falls hotel occupancy tax[3] | Not published | The city |
Collecting the hotel occupancy tax is written into the ordinance's purpose, so the permit and the tax account are treated as one obligation rather than two here.[3]
What the census counts
How much of Marble Falls is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 179 of Marble Falls's 3,483 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 51 out of every 1,000. It ranks Marble Falls 13th of the 23 Texas cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 13th of 23
- Share of housing
- 51 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $338,800
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where Marble Falls sits among its neighbors
Austin, TX
Permit required
In every zoning district, as an accessory to residential use. Each rental needs its own city license.
Austin short-term rental rulesGranite Shoals, TX
Registration required
533 seasonal homes, 208 per 1,000 housing units.
Granite Shoals short-term rental rulesGun Barrel City, TX
Permit required
254 seasonal homes, 76 per 1,000 housing units.
Gun Barrel City short-term rental rulesLago Vista, TX
Permit required
252 seasonal homes, 51 per 1,000 housing units.
Lago Vista short-term rental rulesFAQ
Marble Falls short-term rental questions
Does Marble Falls inspect before renewal?
What drawings does the application need?
How much is the permit?
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
- Short-Term Rental Registration and ordinance 2021-O-11A, City of Marble Falls, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 20, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
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