City Watch
Short-term rental rules in Rockport, TX
How Rockport regulates short-term rentals: the rules that apply, their sources, and pending changes.
Short-term rentals here operate under a registration or permit system with ongoing operating rules.
- mandatory STR-specific registration (Ordinance 1928) via Deckard permit/tax portal
- permit process with inspection and fee
- city hotel occupancy tax 7% collected on STR stays
- no supply device: no citywide cap, no primary-residence requirement, no residential-zone exclusion evidenced
- whole-home/absentee STR permitted with registration
Based on: City of Rockport Ordinance No. 1928 — regulations for the registration and use of privately owned dwellings as
Summary of the rule
The City of Rockport adopted Ordinance 1928 establishing regulations for the registration and use of privately owned dwellings as Short-Term Rentals. All existing short-term rental properties must be registered by December 1, 2024. Any new short-term rental properties must complete registration before operating.
View the ordinance source ↗✓ Verified
Last reviewed Sep 15, 2026 · Sources · Report an error
Pending legislation
Monitoring Rockport · system last checked Oct 25, 2026
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City Watch tracks changes from public sources — council agendas, state bills, local news — not a complete legal compendium.
A city permit is not the whole picture — HOA, condominium, deed, or lease rules may be stricter.
City Watch provides good-faith summaries of publicly available information as of the review date shown. Rules, enforcement, and permit availability can change, and summaries may contain errors or omissions. Ratings describe the general regulatory environment; they do not establish whether a particular property or stay is permitted. This is general information, not legal advice. Before buying, listing, or hosting, verify applicable requirements with the responsible authorities and review any HOA, condominium, deed, or lease restrictions.