Short-term rentals
Round Rock taxes short-term rentals at 9% of monthly net receipts, a 7% hotel occupancy tax plus a 2% venue tax, with a return due monthly even when nothing was rented.
For investors: Price Round Rock nights with the city's 9% and the state hotel tax both in mind. A vacant month still needs a zero return by the last day of the following month, a filing that is easy to forget between busy seasons.
Source: City of Round Rock, Hotel Occupancy and Venue Tax FAQ (Nov 2025), Nov 2025
Round Rock requires a separate city permit for each short-term rental unit, $35 for the first year and $25 for each annual renewal, which is due by January 1.
For investors: The permit application must name a local contact reachable around the clock who can respond in person within one hour, so an out-of-area owner needs a nearby manager. Three Round Rock rentals mean three permits and $75 a year in renewals.
Source: Round Rock Code of Ordinances, Ch. 38, Art. IV, Secs. 38-88 to 38-90; City of Round Rock HOT FAQ (Nov 2025), Oct 2026
Round Rock says Airbnb and Vrbo do not remit its hotel or venue tax, so hosts pay the city directly; late tax draws 5% to 15% penalties and 10% interest after 60 days.
For investors: Whatever a listing platform shows the guest, the city's 9% remains the Round Rock owner's own filing. Penalties step up at 30 and 60 days late, so one forgotten month quietly erodes the margin on a property that runs close to its DSCR target.
Source: City of Round Rock, Hotel Occupancy and Venue Tax FAQ (Nov 2025), Nov 2025
Under a September 2025 ordinance, a new Round Rock short-term rental must hold a city permit before its first guest, and each day operating without one can be cited as a separate Class C offense.
For investors: Buyers converting a Round Rock house to nightly use should finish the permit before the listing goes live. Operators already paying the city hotel tax on October 1, 2025 were permitted automatically, while others had 60 days, so ask any seller for the permit record.
Source: Round Rock Code of Ordinances, Ch. 38, Art. IV (Hotel Occupancy Tax), Sec. 38-91, Oct 2026