Corpus Christi’s registration rule is short: rentals of under 30 days are registered, rentals of 30 days or more are not. The short-term rental ordinance adopted on June 28, 2022 is the whole of the city’s rental registration law, and the code’s housing chapters contain nothing for long-term rentals beyond the property maintenance standard applied on complaint. The details below are from the city’s Development Services page and the code as read in September 2026.
The short-term rental permit
The city defines a short-term rental as a property that “rents out all or a portion of a residential dwelling unit for a period of less than 30 days and not less than 12 hours,” and states that “the STR Ordinance requires registration of any property that is rented for less than 30 consecutive days in all areas of Corpus Christi” (Short Term Rentals). The permit fee is $250 (the 2023 figure, after a $50 introductory fee in 2022); “STR permits are valid for the calendar year and must be renewed every January to remain compliant.” The application, fee and hotel occupancy tax registration run through the MUNIRevs portal under contract to the city, and the permit carries operating conditions including insurance and “annual inspections of required fire extinguishers in compliance with the city’s current fire code.” Contact: STRregistration@CorpusChristiTX.gov, (361) 826-3240.
Where short stays are allowed
The ordinance amended the Unified Development Code “to allow short-term rentals (STRs) with restrictions in single-family residential districts citywide but not in single-family residential districts within the Padre/Mustang Island Area Development Plan area.” Applications in the Flour Bluff and Padre/Mustang Island areas are accepted for units in multi-family and commercial zones. The city publishes an STR, parcel and zoning map to check an address before applying.
Insurance and fire safety inside the permit
The STR permit is not only a fee: the city page lists operating conditions “including but not limited to: maintenance of insurance coverage and annual inspections of required fire extinguishers in compliance with the city’s current fire code.” A permit holder who lets the extinguisher inspection lapse is out of compliance even with a current permit, and the registration renews each January whether or not the property was rented that year. Calendar three dates: the January renewal, the extinguisher inspection, and the monthly hotel occupancy tax filing.
Long-term rentals: no program, one standard
Chapter 13 of the Code of Ordinances — Code Enforcement, Housing and Housing Premises Standards — contains the Property Maintenance Code (Article II), vacant buildings (Article III) and vacant downtown buildings (Article IV); Chapter 20, Housing, contains an infill incentive program. None registers a house or an apartment rented for 30 days or more. The standard applied on complaint is the International Property Maintenance Code, 2015 edition, adopted verbatim by §13-20 with local amendments — including one that ties rental-unit security devices to Texas Property Code Chapter 92, Subchapter D.
| Program | Applies to | Fee | Cycle | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term rental permit | Any rental under 30 consecutive days (and at least 12 hours), citywide | $250 per calendar year | Renew every January; HOT monthly | Development Services |
| Long-term rental registration | — | None | — | Code of Ordinances |
| Property Maintenance Code (IPMC 2015) | All buildings, on complaint | — | — | Chapter 13, Art. II |
What to keep in the file
- For a permitted STR: the MUNIRevs permit, the January renewal date, HOT filings, the insurance certificate and the extinguisher inspection record.
- For any property: the zoning district and, on the islands, whether the parcel is inside the Padre/Mustang Island Area Development Plan area.
- For a long-term rental: a dated note that no registration applies, plus any complaint inspection report with correction dates.
What changes in Corpus Christi
- One registration only: the $250 calendar-year STR permit, required anywhere in the city for stays under 30 days.
- STRs are barred from single-family districts inside the Padre/Mustang Island Area Development Plan area.
- No registration or scheduled inspection for long-term rentals; the IPMC 2015 applies on complaint.
- The city’s lock rule is Chapter 92, Subchapter D, adopted by reference.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Corpus Christi short-term rental permit?
$250 for a calendar year, renewed every January, paid through the MUNIRevs portal (City of Corpus Christi).
Does Corpus Christi require registration of long-term rentals?
No. The city code contains no registration or inspection program for rentals of 30 days or more.
Can I operate a short-term rental on Padre Island?
Not in a single-family residential district inside the Padre/Mustang Island Area Development Plan area; applications are accepted there only for multi-family and commercial zoned units.
What standard does a Corpus Christi inspector use on a rental complaint?
The International Property Maintenance Code, 2015 edition, adopted by §13-20 with local amendments (Chapter 13, Article II).
Sources
Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.
- City of Corpus Christi — Short Term Rentals (Development Services) ↗
- Corpus Christi Code of Ordinances (Municode) ↗
- Corpus Christi Code, Chapter 13, Article II — Property Maintenance Code (IPMC 2015) ↗
General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.