Baytown, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Baytown, TX STRs averaged $159/night at 51.6% occupancy in April 2026, with occupancy down 7.9% year-over-year.
Quick Answer: Baytown, Texas is an active short-term rental market. average occupancy is 61%. average monthly revenue is $3,129. average daily rate is $198. the top operator is Phillip Houston Property Manager with 439 listings. market score is 56/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Houston regional market, which includes Baytown. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Baytown.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Baytown is an industrial port city of approximately 86,000 residents on Galveston Bay, roughly 25 miles east of downtown Houston. Tourism is driven by outdoor and nature recreation (Baytown Nature Center, bay fishing), family attractions (Pirates Bay Waterpark), and business travel tied to the region’s petrochemical economy. The city operates over 2,000 hotel rooms, with the Hyatt Regency Baytown-Houston anchoring conference and group business.
The short-term rental market recorded an average daily rate of $159 and occupancy of 51.6% in April 2026, with RevPAR of $82. Year-over-year in April 2026, occupancy declined 7.9% and ADR increased 2.6%, resulting in near-flat revenue growth of 0.6%. This pattern, where rate increases partially offset occupancy loss, warrants attention from investors evaluating new entry into the market.
The market carries a large active supply. Entire-place listings total 21,667 (82.6% of listings), private-room listings 4,469, and shared-room listings 80. By bedroom count, one-bedroom units are the most common at 10,675, followed by three-bedroom (6,332), two-bedroom (4,857), four-bedroom (2,902), and five-bedroom-plus (1,396). Channel distribution shows Airbnb dominance: 15,805 listings on Airbnb only, 9,245 on both Airbnb and VRBO, and 1,166 on VRBO only.
The market’s seasonality score is 93.8 out of 100, among the highest in Texas, reflecting significant swings across the calendar year. The overall market score is 55.6, with investability at 63.6 and revenue growth at 54.3.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53% | $118 | $1,779 |
| Feb | 60% | $122 | $1,823 |
| Mar | 64% | $140 | $2,448 |
| Apr | 57% | $132 | $2,063 |
| May | 60% | $139 | $2,229 |
| Jun | 64% | $143 | $2,390 |
| Jul | 65% | $132 | $2,351 |
| Aug | 59% | $134 | $2,234 |
| Sep | 57% | $129 | $1,970 |
| Oct | 58% | $131 | $2,067 |
| Nov | 56% | $130 | $1,933 |
| Dec | 55% | $127 | $1,946 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Baytown
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillip Houston Property Manager | 439 | 17,345 | ★ 4.51 |
| 2 | Evolve | 360 | 8,415 | ★ 4.49 |
| 3 | Landing, Inc. | 272 | 398 | ★ 3.84 |
| 4 | Landing | 245 | 158 | ★ 3.56 |
| 5 | Lodgeur | 142 | 2,171 | ★ 4.78 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Baytown?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 10,675 |
| 2 bed | 4,857 |
| 3 bed | 6,332 |
| 4 bed | 2,902 |
| 5 bed | 1,396 |
ADR by Property Tier
| Entire Home | $229 |
| Luxury | $365 |
| Professionally Managed | $270 |
Revenue by Dwelling Type
| Apartment | $2,928 |
| Entire Place | $3,545 |
| House | $3,281 |
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 60.3% |
| vrbo | 4.4% |
| both | 35.3% |
Investment Analysis
April 2026 average monthly revenue was $2,455 across all Baytown STR listings. Entire-place listings averaged $2,734 per month, house listings $2,706, and apartment listings $2,044. Annualizing the April figure produces approximately $29,460 in gross annual revenue per listing, though the market’s seasonal variability means March (the strongest month at $2,449 average revenue) and the summer months drive the upper bound.
By ADR tier, professionally managed listings averaged $177 per night versus the all-listing average of $159, an 11.3% premium. Luxury-tier listings reached $275 ADR, roughly 72.8% above the all-listing average.
Housing value data for Baytown is not available in the current snapshot, so gross yield cannot be calculated. The ADR trajectory shows steady but modest growth: $104 average in 2017, rising to $152 in both 2024 and 2025, and $159 in early 2026. Annual average revenue grew from $1,587 in 2017 to $2,543 in 2024 before dipping to $2,472 in 2025. The 7.9% occupancy decline in April 2026 relative to prior year, combined with a 2.6% ADR increase, points to supply growth outpacing demand growth in the near term. The revenue growth score of 54.3 reflects this moderated trajectory. Baytown’s STR regulatory environment is also in transition, with a new permit system potentially taking effect by late June 2026, which could affect compliance costs.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
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Booking Insights
Baytown has the shortest booking lead time of the five markets processed in this batch: guests book an average of just 27 days in advance. The average length of stay is 4.87 nights, the longest in this group, suggesting extended contractor, business traveler, or transition-housing stays rather than purely leisure trips.
The 27-day lead time reflects the market’s industrial and business-travel component: corporate and contract workers often book with less advance notice than leisure travelers. Operators should keep calendars open and available at least 30 to 45 days out to capture this demand, and should price for medium-term stays (5 to 7 nights) given the nearly 5-night average stay.
For operators competing in this market, weekly rates and extended-stay discounts are likely important tools. A 4.87-night average stay means fewer turnovers per month relative to weekend-oriented markets, which reduces cleaning costs but also requires competitive nightly rates to fill calendar days at sufficient volume.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Baytown’s STR regulatory framework is in active transition as of June 2026. Under the current Unified Land Development Code (Chapter 111), short-term rentals in residential and mixed-use zoning districts require a Special Use Permit (SUP) approved by City Council, a discretionary case-by-case process. The city approved its first STR SUP in December 2025 for a single-family home in the Suburban Residential district.
The city is moving toward a streamlined annual registration system: a proposed text amendment would replace the SUP process with a $300/year permit (estimated as $200 permit plus $100 inspection fee) funded by the operators. The proposed ordinance includes occupancy limits (two guests per rented bedroom plus two additional), off-street parking requirements (one space per bedroom plus one), mandatory fire and safety inspections, GIS tracking, and 24/7 contact posting requirements. The City Council tabled the ordinance and scheduled a line-by-line workshop for June 11, 2026, with a final vote expected at the second June 2026 council meeting. Investors should verify the current permitting status before purchasing.
Regardless of the permitting outcome, STR operators must collect and remit hotel occupancy tax of 13% total: 7% city HOT administered by Avenu Insights and Analytics, plus 6% Texas state HOT. There is no published cap on rental nights per year and no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement in either the existing or proposed framework. Enforcement is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
Baytown’s April 2026 occupancy of 51.6% is near but slightly below the US STR median of approximately 55%. The 2025 annual average occupancy of 57.7% is above the national median. The April 2026 ADR of $159 is well below the US STR median of approximately $220, reflecting Baytown’s positioning as an affordable, utilitarian market in the Houston industrial corridor rather than a leisure destination.
Among property managers, Phillip Houston Property Manager leads with 439 listings and a 4.51 average rating across 17,345 reviews. Evolve is second with 360 listings and a 4.49 rating across 8,415 reviews. Landing, Inc. operates 272 listings with a 3.84 rating (398 reviews), and Landing (a related but separate entity) manages 245 listings at a 3.56 rating (158 reviews). Lodgeur rounds out the top 5 with 142 listings and a notably higher 4.78 rating across 2,171 reviews. The top 5 operators collectively manage 1,458 listings.
The presence of two Landing entities in the top 5 at lower ratings (3.56 and 3.84) compared to Lodgeur (4.78) illustrates the quality variance in this market’s professionally managed segment. Lodgeur’s higher rating with a smaller portfolio may represent a competitive differentiation opportunity for operators focused on guest experience.
Frequently Asked Questions About Baytown, Texas
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