Kingwood, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Kingwood TX STRs averaged $159/night at 51.6% occupancy in April 2026 across a 26,000-listing Houston-area market governed by Houston's new 2025 STR ordinance.
Quick Answer: Kingwood, 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 55/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Houston regional market, which includes Kingwood. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Kingwood.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions Apivex evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Kingwood is a master-planned, heavily forested community in northeast Houston within Harris County, annexed by the City of Houston in 1996. It draws primarily regional visitors from the greater Houston metro for lake recreation on 12,000-acre Lake Houston, over 75 miles of greenbelt trails, and waterfront dining at Kings Harbor. Unlike resort destinations, Kingwood has no dedicated visitor count, and overnight STR demand is tied to broader Houston-metro travel and local event patterns.
As of April 2026, the all-listings average daily rate was $159.40, with occupancy at 51.6% and RevPAR at $82.31. Average monthly revenue per active listing was $2,456. Year-over-year trends show occupancy down 7.83%, ADR up 2.55%, and revenue essentially flat at +0.70%, indicating that rates are holding while nights booked have softened.
The market is large at approximately 26,122 total listings, reflecting Kingwood’s position within the greater Houston STR market data area. Entire-place listings account for 21,579 (about 83%). Private rooms add 4,464 listings, a notably larger share than in comparable markets. One-bedroom listings lead at 10,632, followed by three-bedroom (6,317), two-bedroom (4,835), four-bedroom (2,892), and five-bedroom or larger (1,391). Airbnb dominates channel distribution with 15,749 exclusive listings, VRBO carries 1,154, and 9,219 appear on both platforms. The overall market score of 55.4 is moderate, with seasonality (93.8) the standout dimension and revenue growth (54.2) as the weakest.
Seasonal Patterns
| Month | Occupancy | ADR | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53% | $118 | $1,779 |
| Feb | 60% | $122 | $1,823 |
| Mar | 64% | $140 | $2,449 |
| 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 | $1,969 |
| Oct | 58% | $131 | $2,067 |
| Nov | 56% | $130 | $1,934 |
| Dec | 55% | $127 | $1,947 |
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Kingwood
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape.
| # | Operator | Listings | Reviews | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillip Houston Property Manager | 439 | 17,180 | ★ 4.51 |
| 2 | Evolve | 358 | 8,378 | ★ 4.48 |
| 3 | Landing, Inc. | 275 | 394 | ★ 3.85 |
| 4 | Landing | 243 | 173 | ★ 3.42 |
| 5 | Lodgeur | 142 | 2,162 | ★ 4.77 |
What Kind of STR Should I Buy in Kingwood?
Revenue and pricing by property type, tier, and bedroom count.
Revenue by Bedroom Count
| 1 bed | 10,632 |
| 2 bed | 4,835 |
| 3 bed | 6,317 |
| 4 bed | 2,892 |
| 5 bed | 1,391 |
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
Kingwood’s investability score of 63.6 out of 100 is lower than most pure leisure destination markets, reflecting Houston’s competitive and supply-heavy STR environment. However, the underlying math remains workable. The typical home value is $336,522, with median sale prices at $357,483 and median list prices at $358,150, indicating a well-functioning market where listed and sold prices closely align. The sale-to-list ratio of 0.998 confirms near-asking transactions, and a median 24 days to pending suggests steady demand from buyers.
At April 2026 average monthly revenue of $2,456, the annualized figure reaches approximately $29,475. Against the typical home value of $336,522, that implies a gross yield of approximately 8.8% before management fees and operating costs. This is a rough estimate based on market averages.
Tier comparisons show meaningful upside from positioning. The all-listings ADR of $159.40 rises to $181.35 for entire-home listings (a 14% premium), $176.90 for professionally managed properties, and $274.66 for the luxury tier. Entire-place and house-type listings generate higher revenue ($2,734 and $2,708 per month respectively) versus $2,046 for apartments, confirming a preference for standalone space. Year-over-year revenue growth of just 0.70% warrants conservative underwriting. The regulation score of 61.7 reflects the moderate compliance burden introduced by Houston Ordinance 2025-322, which requires registration and carries active enforcement.
Revenue Trend (5 yr)
ADR & Occupancy Trends (5 yr)
Run a Free Address Analysis
Skip the market averages. Get revenue projections, comp analysis, and ROI for your specific property address. Free, instant, no signup required.
Analyze My Property →Home Value Trends (Kingwood)
Booking Insights
Kingwood has the shortest average booking lead time of the five markets in this batch at 26.96 days, just under four weeks. This reflects Houston’s corporate and transient demand profile, where business travelers and last-minute visitors book on shorter horizons than leisure destination travelers. Operators should hold rates firm in the 30-plus-day window but monitor closely and consider yield adjustments in the final two weeks before arrival dates.
The average length of stay is 4.87 nights, the longest in this batch and close to five nights. This suggests a meaningful share of weekly or extended-stay bookings, consistent with corporate relocation visitors, medical travel tied to Houston’s large medical center complex, and extended weekend stays. A near-five-night average means approximately six guest turns per month at full occupancy, lower than markets with shorter stays, which reduces cleaning and turnover costs per occupied night.
A four-night minimum stay policy works well with this demand profile. For operators targeting corporate or relocation travelers, flexible weekly rates and longer minimum stays of seven nights can unlock a higher-value booking segment.
Short-Term Rental Regulations
Kingwood is within the City of Houston, which adopted its first STR ordinance (No. 2025-322) on April 16, 2025. All properties rented for periods under 30 consecutive days must obtain a Certificate of Registration through the city’s online portal.
Registration fee: $275 per property annually, with an additional administrative fee of approximately $33.10, bringing the effective annual cost to roughly $308. The registration portal opened October 1, 2025, with a January 1, 2026 compliance deadline. As of April 1, 2026, platforms including Airbnb and VRBO are required to remove unregistered listings within 10 days of city notice. No owner-occupancy requirement and no annual night cap applies.
Operational requirements include displaying a 24-hour emergency contact, completing human-trafficking awareness training, meeting noise, occupancy, and parking standards, and not advertising the property as an event venue. Fines for operating without registration run $100-$500 per day of violation.
Occupancy taxes: the City of Houston levies a 7% hotel occupancy tax on short-term rentals. Texas state hotel tax adds 6%, and Harris County and the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority each add 2%, bringing the combined lodging tax load to approximately 17%. STR operators must register to collect and remit these taxes.
Kingwood’s master-planned village structure means private deed restrictions and HOA covenants may independently prohibit or restrict short-term rentals, regardless of city ordinance compliance. Investors must review the specific subdivision’s covenants before purchasing. Enforcement severity is rated moderate.
Market Comparison
Kingwood’s 51.6% occupancy in April 2026 is close to the approximate US short-term rental median of 55%, and notably more consistent across seasons than most comparable markets. The $159.40 ADR is below the national median of approximately $220, reflecting Houston’s price-competitive suburban character versus destination markets. RevPAR of $82.31 is moderate.
The overall market score of 55.4 is the lowest among the five markets in this batch, weighed down by revenue growth (54.2) and regulation (61.7). However, the seasonality score of 93.8 is the highest, confirming Kingwood’s standout characteristic: unusually stable, year-round demand.
Operator concentration shows two distinct tiers. Phillip Houston Property Manager leads with 439 listings and 17,180 reviews at a 4.51 average rating. Evolve follows with 358 listings and 8,378 reviews at 4.48. Landing Inc. and Landing (likely related entities) together hold 518 listings at lower average ratings of 3.85 and 3.42 respectively. Lodgeur stands out with 142 listings and the highest average rating in the top five at 4.77 across 2,162 reviews. The top five operators collectively manage approximately 1,457 listings, about 5.6% of the estimated 26,122-listing market.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kingwood, Texas
What is the average daily rate for short-term rentals in Kingwood, TX?
Do I need a permit to operate an Airbnb in Kingwood, TX?
What are the occupancy tax rates for short-term rentals in Kingwood?
How consistent is Kingwood's short-term rental demand year-round?
What is the gross yield potential for a Kingwood short-term rental?
How far in advance do guests book Kingwood rentals?
Which property managers operate in the Kingwood, TX STR market?
Analyze Kingwood Rentals
Use our free calculator to estimate Airbnb revenue for any property in Kingwood.
Free Kingwood STR Calculator →
