Frisco registers one kind of rental. Ordinance 2021-08-52 requires a permit for any dwelling rented for less than 30 days; the city’s Code Enforcement pages describe no registration, license or scheduled inspection for a house or apartment rented for 30 days or more. The details below are from the city’s Short-Term Rentals page and related documents as read in September 2026; the city’s full code was not read for this guide.
The STR permit
“If you rent your home or other dwellings for less than 30 days, you are required to obtain a STR permit.” The fee is “$300 annual fee for each property.” The consequence of skipping it is unusually explicit: “Unregistered short-term rentals may be subject to fines and penalties, including a ban on registering the property in the future” (Short-Term Rentals, Ordinance 2021-08-52). Code Enforcement publishes a Guest Safety Information Checklist for permit holders, and the Finance Department collects the city’s hotel occupancy tax on short stays through a short-term rental occupancy tax report (Hotel/Motel tax).
Why the ban matters for a long-term lease
The ban attaches to the property, not to the person who listed it. A tenant who puts a Frisco house on a booking platform without the owner’s knowledge can leave the owner unable to register the same house later. The long-term lease should therefore prohibit stays under 30 days without the owner’s written consent, and the owner — not the tenant — should be the permit holder if short stays are ever allowed.
The guest safety checklist and what it implies
Frisco’s Code Enforcement division publishes a Guest Safety Information Checklist for STR operators — the items a permitted property posts or provides for guests. For a landlord the checklist doubles as a maintenance standard: smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, emergency exits and contact numbers are the same items a long-term tenant is entitled to under Texas Property Code Chapter 92, and a property that can pass the STR checklist is a property that can pass a complaint inspection. Keep a completed copy in the file whether or not the property is ever rented short-term.
Hotel occupancy tax: two filings
A permitted STR files the city’s short-term rental occupancy tax report with the Finance Department (Hotel/Motel tax) and, separately, the state hotel occupancy tax with the Texas Comptroller. Platforms that collect on the host’s behalf do not always cover both; confirm which returns the platform files and file the rest yourself. Keep every return with the permit, because a lapse in tax filings is a lapse in the permit conditions.
Two counties, two sets of records
A Frisco STR permit is a city permit whichever county the house is in, but the property record behind it is not: a Collin County address is on the Collin Central Appraisal District roll and a Denton County address on Denton CAD’s (Appraisal districts). The permit application, the hotel tax account and the insurance policy should all carry the same owner name as the appraisal record; a mismatch — an LLC on the deed, an individual on the permit — is the first thing a code officer notices and the easiest to fix before applying.
Houses and apartments rented long-term
Nothing on the city’s Code Enforcement pages or its list of most-requested ordinances registers a long-term rental. Record the conclusion with its date and its limit — it rests on the city’s program pages, not on a full read of the code — and re-check the city’s ordinances page at each file review.
| Program | Applies to | Fee | Consequence of non-compliance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term rental permit | Any dwelling rented under 30 days | $300 per year per property; hotel occupancy tax | Fines and a possible ban on future registration | Short-Term Rentals |
| Long-term rental registration | — | None found on city pages | — | Code Enforcement |
What to keep in the file
- For a permitted STR: the permit and its renewal date, the guest safety checklist as posted, and each occupancy tax report.
- For a long-term rental: a dated note that no registration appears on the city’s pages, and the subletting clause.
- The utility territory (Oncor or CoServ) and the county, since both change what the lease says.
What changes in Frisco
- A $300 annual STR permit for any stay under 30 days, with a guest safety checklist and occupancy tax.
- Unregistered operation can bring a ban on registering the property in the future — the ban follows the property.
- No registration for long-term rentals on the city’s pages.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Frisco’s short-term rental permit?
$300 per year for each property, under Ordinance 2021-08-52 (City of Frisco).
What happens if I operate an unregistered STR in Frisco?
The city says unregistered short-term rentals may face fines and penalties, including a ban on registering the property in the future.
Does Frisco register long-term rentals?
No registration or inspection program for rentals of 30 days or more appears on the city’s Code Enforcement pages as of September 2026.
Does Frisco tax short stays?
Yes. The Finance Department collects hotel occupancy tax on short-term rentals through a dedicated report (Hotel/Motel tax).
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 Frisco — Short-Term Rentals ↗
- City of Frisco — Ordinance 2021-08-52 (short-term rentals, PDF) ↗
- City of Frisco — Hotel/Motel tax ↗
- City of Frisco — Code Enforcement ↗
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.