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 in the Houston market area is 61%. average monthly revenue in the Houston market area is $3,129. average daily rate in the Houston market area is $198. the top operator in the Houston market area 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 StaySTRA 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 |
|---|---|
| Jan | 53% |
| Feb | 60% |
| Mar | 64% |
| Apr | 57% |
| May | 60% |
| Jun | 64% |
| Jul | 65% |
| Aug | 59% |
| Sep | 57% |
| Oct | 58% |
| Nov | 56% |
| Dec | 55% |
Month-by-month nightly rates and revenue figures for Kingwood are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Top Short-Term Rental Operators in Houston market area
Ranked by total active listings. Useful for understanding the competitive landscape. Operator data is published for the Houston market as a whole, which includes Kingwood, so these counts are not Kingwood-only figures.
| # | 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 nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Kingwood are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Channel Mix
Distribution of bookings across major STR platforms.
| Channel | Share |
|---|---|
| airbnb | 60.3% |
| vrbo | 4.4% |
| both | 35.3% |
Home Value Trends (Kingwood)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Kingwood are available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
Booking Insights
Booking-window and length-of-stay analysis for Kingwood — how far ahead guests book and how to price around it — is available to StaySTRA Pro members. Unlock with StaySTRA Pro or analyze a specific address free.
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
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