Rental registration rules in Houston: what applies and what doesn’t

Houston has no general rental registration for houses or duplexes. It has three narrower regimes, and knowing which one applies is the whole exercise: the Multi-Family Habitability Code for buildings of three or more units, a High-Risk Rental Building inspection program adopted in May 2026 for apartment buildings that accumulate citations, and a short-term rental certificate for stays of under 30 consecutive days. Each is set out below with its threshold, its cost and its source as read in September 2026.

Multi-family buildings: registration under Chapter 10, Article IV

Article IV of Chapter 10 — the “Houston Multi-Family Habitability Code,” adopted by Ordinance 09-1043 in November 2009 — defines a multi-family rental building (MFRB) as “a building that has three or more units.” Section 10-154 requires the owner to register the building on the city’s form, which asks for the address, the appraisal district account numbers, the number of buildings and units, and the intended use of each. The completed form must be posted in or on the building, and a building that did not exist on January 1, 2010 must be registered within 30 days after its certificate of occupancy. Registration is free; the ordinance sets no fee. Under §10-159 an owner in violation commits a misdemeanor with a fine of $500 to $2,000, and each day is a separate offense.

The 2026 High-Risk Rental Building program

On May 6, 2026 the City Council adopted an ordinance, approved May 12, adding a Division 2 to Article IV (ordinance text). A multi-family building is designated a high-risk rental building when it receives ten or more citations in a six-month period for failures such as an invalid certificate of occupancy, uncorrected structural violations or life-safety hazards; citations issued the same day count as one. Once designated, the owner registers in the High-Risk Apartment Inspection Program within 15 days, the building official inspects within 30 days and delivers a written list of violations within 20 days, and the designation runs for six months. Failing to remedy violations within the correction period is punishable by $250 to $2,000 per violation per day. A new Apartment Standards Enforcement Committee, with police, public works, fire, health and housing representatives, monitors the list.

Short-term rentals: certificate, fee, platform delisting

The city defines a short-term rental as a dwelling unit, or part of one, “rented out or offered to be rented out for a period of less than 30 consecutive days” (Administration & Regulatory Affairs — Short-Term Rentals). Operating one requires a certificate of registration issued through the city portal. The FAQ published with the ordinance puts the non-refundable application fee at $275, plus the city’s administrative fee, $33.10 in 2025, and describes the fee as annual (STR FAQ). Applicants must show a hotel occupancy tax account for listings outside Airbnb, complete a human-trafficking awareness course and provide an emergency contact. The city page read in September 2026 states that certificates issued on or before December 31, 2026 expire on December 31, 2027, and that from January 1, 2027 the city will notify platforms to remove listings without a certificate; platforms then have ten business days to comply.

Houses, condos and duplexes: nothing to register

The table of contents of Chapter 10 contains no article covering one- or two-unit rentals, and the multi-family code’s three-unit threshold excludes them. That is a fact worth keeping in the property file with its date, because neighbouring cities do register houses: Dallas charges $74 a year for a single-family rental and Fort Worth registers one- and two-family rentals that carry code violations. A Houston landlord with properties in several cities should not assume one rule.

HOUSTON RENTAL PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE (SEPTEMBER 2026)
Program	Applies to	Cost	Renewal / cycle	Source
Multi-Family Habitability registration	Buildings with three or more units	Free	Register once; update within 30 days of changes; post the form	Ch. 10, Art. IV
High-Risk Rental Building inspection	MFRBs with ten or more citations in six months	No fee stated; fines $250–$2,000 per day for uncorrected violations	Six-month designation; inspection within 30 days	Ordinance of May 6, 2026
Short-term rental certificate	Any dwelling rented for under 30 consecutive days	$275 + administrative fee ($33.10 in 2025)	Annual; 2026 certificates run to December 31, 2027	ARA STR page · FAQ
Single-family, condo, duplex rental	—	None	No program	Code of Ordinances

What to keep in the lease and the file

For a building of three or more units: a copy of the posted registration form and the date it was filed; a note of the appraisal account numbers it lists.
For any property: a subletting clause that forbids listings of under 30 days unless the owner holds the city certificate, with a reference to the city’s STR page.
For a house or duplex: a dated note that Chapter 10, Article IV does not apply, so the question is answered when the file is reviewed a year later.
A reminder that registration never replaces the landlord’s repair duties under Texas Property Code Chapter 92.

What changes in Houston

Three or more units on a tract means free registration with the building official and a posted form; fines run $500–$2,000 per day.
Since May 2026, ten citations in six months put an apartment building into a high-risk inspection program with a 15-day registration deadline.
Short-term rentals of under 30 days need a $275-a-year certificate; platform delisting starts January 1, 2027.
No registration, license or inspection program exists for a single-family home, condo unit or duplex rented long-term.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a rental registration fee in Houston?

For a multi-family building of three or more units, registration under Chapter 10, Article IV carries no fee; the cost is the fine for not doing it, $500 to $2,000 per day. Short-term rental certificates cost $275 a year plus an administrative fee.

Do I have to register a duplex rental in Houston?

No. The multi-family code starts at three units, and the code has no separate program for one- or two-unit rentals. A duplex offered for stays of under 30 days would still need a short-term rental certificate.

What is a high-risk rental building in Houston?

A multi-family rental building that receives ten or more citations within six months for problems such as an invalid certificate of occupancy or uncorrected structural or life-safety violations, under the ordinance adopted May 6, 2026 (text). The owner must register in the inspection program within 15 days of the designation notice.

When will Houston start removing unregistered Airbnb listings?

The city’s STR page states that on January 1, 2027 it will begin notifying platforms to remove listings that lack a certificate of registration (City of Houston). Certificates issued on or before December 31, 2026 are valid until December 31, 2027.

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.

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.