The rules changed. Nobody told you.

Registration is now mandatory, and enforcement is live

Houston's first short-term rental ordinance took effect January 1, 2026. Every STR inside city limits must hold a Certificate of Registration (registration opened October 1, 2025; the fee is $275 per property per year plus an administrative fee, per the city's ordinance materials). Operating or advertising without a certificate is a violation; reported fines run $100 to $500 per day.

Who is affected: Anyone operating or listing an STR inside Houston city limits.

What to do: If any Houston property in your portfolio is unregistered, register now before a complaint finds you first.

Source: Houston Permitting Center · Adopted ordinance (PDF)

Platform enforcement began July 1

Austin's rewritten STR rules took effect October 1, 2025: two-year licenses ($836.30 new, $385.30 renewal), a local contact inside the five-county metro area, and tenants allowed to operate with landlord permission. The platform provisions kicked in July 1, 2026: Airbnb and Vrbo must maintain a license-number field and remove unlicensed listings when the city asks.

Who is affected: Austin operators, especially anyone still listing without a license number.

What to do: Confirm every Austin listing shows a valid license number. Unlicensed properties can now be delisted at the city's request.

Source: City of Austin — Short-Term Rentals

The ban is still blocked, and the Supreme Court holds the clock

Dallas passed a near-total ban on STRs in single-family zoning in 2023. A trial court blocked it, and a Texas appeals court upheld the injunction twice in 2025. Dallas has asked the Texas Supreme Court to lift the block. As of the most recent reporting we verified, the court had not ruled and the injunction remains in place, so STRs continue operating legally in Dallas while the case is pending.

Who is affected: Anyone operating or acquiring STR property in Dallas.

What to do: Operate normally, but do not underwrite new Dallas acquisitions on the assumption the ban stays blocked. A ruling could change the picture quickly.

Source: KERA News · Rent Responsibly

Occupancy-limit bill passed the House, then stalled

HB 2429 passed the Arizona House 36-19 on March 10, 2026. It would set a statewide overnight occupancy standard (two adults per sleeping area plus two, children not counted), let cities suspend a license after three verified violations in 24 months, and allow immediate suspension for a single health-or-safety violation. It went to the Senate and stalled; we could not verify a Senate floor vote or signature as of compile date. Expect a similar bill next session.

Who is affected: All Arizona operators, most directly high-occupancy properties.

What to do: Nothing is required yet. If your AZ pricing model depends on high occupancy, note the two-per-bedroom-plus-two formula now.

Source: KJZZ · HB 2429 text (azleg.gov)

License compliance checklist still catches new managers

Scottsdale requires a city license for each property rented under 30 days: $250 per year, at least $500,000 in liability insurance, a 24-hour emergency contact, and written notification to adjacent neighbors within 30 days of the license being issued. A separate ordinance bars using rentals as event venues.

Who is affected: Anyone managing Scottsdale properties, especially newly onboarded ones.

What to do: Audit each Scottsdale unit against all four requirements. The neighbor-notification step is the one managers most often miss.

Source: City of Scottsdale — STR information

2026 session ended with no new statewide mandate

The only vacation-rental bill to move in 2026, CS/CS/SB 658 (water safety equipment and compliance certificates), passed the Senate and then died in the House on March 13, 2026. No statewide registration or licensing overhaul passed. Florida's preemption framework and the city-by-city patchwork remain the operating reality.

Who is affected: All Florida operators.

What to do: No new state-level action needed. Your compliance exposure in Florida stays local: watch your specific cities and counties.

Source: Florida Senate — SB 658 (2026)

Certificate, inspection, and a one-hour response rule

The City of Sarasota requires a Vacation Rental Certificate of Registration for non-owner-occupied rentals of single- to four-family properties in residential zones. Since January 1, 2025 it is illegal to operate a covered rental without an applied-for, inspected, and approved registration. Requirements include a property inspection, annual renewal, and a designated responsible party reachable 24/7 who can be on site within one hour.

Who is affected: Managers of covered rentals inside Sarasota city limits.

What to do: Verify each Sarasota unit holds a current certificate and that your responsible-party arrangement genuinely meets the one-hour rule.

Source: City of Sarasota — Vacation Rental Registration

New renewal schedule took effect February 2

Walton County's registration program requires annual registration: $300 per year for individual properties, $227 for community properties, and a $500-per-day penalty for operating unregistered. The county moved to a new annual renewal schedule effective February 2, 2026; the current renewal window runs April 1 to May 31, with registrations expiring May 31.

Who is affected: Operators in Walton County, 30A corridor included.

What to do: Put the April 1 to May 31 renewal window on your compliance calendar now. The county emails reminders 45 days out, but do not rely on them.

Source: Walton County — Vacation Rental Registration Program

Permit applications moved online March 11

Metro Nashville's new online Short Term Rental permit application process took effect March 11, 2026. The fundamentals hold: a permit from Metro Codes is required before listing, permits renew annually, minimum rental period is 24 hours, and maximum guest stay is 30 consecutive days. Enforcement runs on complaints plus active scanning of Airbnb and Vrbo for unpermitted listings.

Who is affected: Nashville and Davidson County operators; anyone with a permit renewal coming up.

What to do: Use the new online portal for applications and renewals, and confirm your permit number appears on every listing before the scanners find it.

Source: Nashville.gov — Short Term Rental Property

Items we checked and could not verify, so they are not above: a widely repeated claim about Tennessee "SB 104 / HB 109" companion bills (the official record shows HB 109 is a banking bill), and a "$1,000 per month" Scottsdale penalty that appears only in third-party guides, not on the city's official pages. When we cannot verify a number, we say so instead of printing it.