McKinney’s registration rule turns on one number and one word: “thirty days or less.” The city “requires annual registration for all short-term rentals located within the city’s corporate limits, with registration intended to identify the existence, location, ownership, management, and designated contacts for properties rented through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO for thirty days or less” (Short-Term Rentals). Rentals of more than 30 days appear in no registration program on the city’s pages. The details below were read in September 2026; the city’s code was not read in full for this guide.
What the registration requires
Owners “must register their short-term rental property or renew their annual permit online or in person, providing contact information for a responsible person who can be contacted 24-hours a day regarding concerns.” The registration is annual and renewable. Every short-term rental “is required to pay Hotel Occupancy Tax,” and the city’s rate is 7% (Hotel Occupancy Tax), on top of the state tax collected by the Comptroller. The registration fee itself was not displayed on the pages read; ask the city before applying.
The thirty-day line
Most Texas cities define a short-term rental as under 30 consecutive days; McKinney’s wording — “thirty days or less” — puts a 30-day stay inside the program. A landlord who offers month-long furnished stays should read the wording as including them and register. A long-term lease should prohibit any stay of 30 days or less unless the owner holds the registration, so that a tenant cannot create an unregistered STR in the owner’s name.
The 24-hour contact and the lease
The registration’s responsible person must be reachable “24-hours a day regarding concerns.” If the owner names a manager, the manager’s number is the one the city and the neighbours will call, and it should match the emergency number in any long-term lease on the same property. A number that goes unanswered is a registration condition unmet; test it, and update the registration when the person changes.
Platforms and the registration number
The city describes the registration as identifying properties “rented through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.” Keep the registration number on the listing where the platform provides a field, and keep the platform’s confirmation of any taxes it remits, because the city’s 7% tax is the operator’s liability whether or not the platform collected it.
Occupancy and parking on the registration
The registration form asks for the property’s maximum occupancy and available off-street parking. Those two numbers become the numbers the city enforces: a listing that advertises more guests than the registration states, or a street lined with guests’ cars, is the complaint that brings a code officer. Put the same numbers on the listing and on the guest sheet, and update the registration before changing either. A house with a garage counted as parking should actually have the garage available to guests, not full of the owner’s belongings; the inspector who follows a complaint will look.
Rentals of more than 30 days
The city’s Code Compliance pages describe property maintenance standards and publish an IPMC self-inspection checklist (checklist); nothing on them registers or licenses a long-term rental. Record the conclusion with its date and its limit, and re-check the city’s codes page at each file review.
| Program | Applies to | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term rental registration | Rentals of thirty days or less inside the city limits | Annual registration; 24-hour responsible contact; 7% city hotel occupancy tax; fee not displayed | Short-Term Rentals · HOT |
| Long-term rental registration | — | None found on city pages | Code Compliance |
What to keep in the file
- For a registered STR: the registration and its renewal date, the 24-hour contact as filed, and each hotel occupancy tax return.
- For a long-term rental: a dated note that no registration appears on the city’s pages, and the subletting clause covering stays of 30 days or less.
- The IPMC self-inspection checklist, completed and dated, as the maintenance record.
What changes in McKinney
- The STR line is “thirty days or less” — a 30-day stay is registrable.
- Registration is annual with a responsible person reachable 24 hours a day.
- The city’s hotel occupancy tax is 7%, on top of the state tax.
- No registration for rentals of more than 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
Does McKinney require STR registration?
Yes — annually, for every short-term rental inside the city limits rented for thirty days or less, with a 24-hour responsible contact (City of McKinney).
What is McKinney’s hotel occupancy tax?
7% at the city level, payable by all short-term rentals (City of McKinney), in addition to the state tax.
Does a 30-day furnished rental need registration in McKinney?
Yes. The city’s wording is “thirty days or less,” which includes a 30-day stay.
Does McKinney register long-term rentals?
No registration or licensing program for rentals of more than 30 days appears on the city’s pages as of September 2026.
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 McKinney — Short-Term Rentals ↗
- City of McKinney — Hotel Occupancy Tax ↗
- City of McKinney — Code Compliance ↗
- City of McKinney — Property Maintenance Self-Inspection Checklist (IPMC, PDF) ↗
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.