Richmond, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Richmond, TX (Houston metro, Fort Bend County) has no dedicated STR ordinance; $198/night at 61.4% occupancy in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Richmond, 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 56/100 (grade C).
Market data reflects the Houston regional market, which includes Richmond. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Richmond.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Richmond is the historic seat of Fort Bend County, about 30 miles southwest of downtown Houston, drawing regional day-trippers and heritage tourists to living-history and museum attractions rather than long-haul destination travel. Its centerpiece draw is George Ranch Historical Park, a 23,000-acre working ranch with 1830s-1930s homes and costumed reenactors, alongside the Fort Bend Museum, the 1908 Fort Bend County Courthouse, and a six-block historic downtown district.
Richmond does not appear to have a dedicated short-term-rental ordinance; a search of the city’s Municode code and website found no STR-specific permit, license, owner-occupancy requirement, or night cap, so Airbnb and Vrbo operation is generally permitted under standard residential zoning and building and fire codes. Fort Bend County itself defers STR regulation to individual cities and does not permit or regulate STRs in unincorporated areas. Note that several online ‘Richmond’ STR guides actually describe Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, British Columbia, or Richmond, California; those cities’ rules, including biennial permits and primary-residence requirements, do not apply here.
StaySTRA’s Airbnb/Vrbo performance data for this area is tracked at a shared regional level across 11 Houston-area cities and towns (including Pearland, Katy, Sugar Land, and Spring) rather than uniquely for Richmond; treat the following as the Houston metro area STR market. In June 2026, that market averaged 61.4% occupancy and a $198 ADR, producing $3,129 in average monthly revenue per listing, up 14.8% year over year on a 5.6% ADR increase.
Using StaySTRA’s housing data, Richmond’s typical home value is $381,200.
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 Richmond 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 Richmond, so these counts are not Richmond-only figures.
| # | 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 Richmond?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Richmond 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 (Richmond)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Richmond 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 Richmond — 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
Richmond, TX (Fort Bend County) does not appear to have a dedicated short-term-rental ordinance. Research of the city’s Municode code and city website found no STR-specific permit, license, owner-occupancy requirement, or night cap, meaning Airbnb and Vrbo operation is generally permitted under standard residential zoning and building and fire codes.
The one clear obligation is tax: the City of Richmond levies a Hotel Occupancy Tax that expressly applies to hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfast establishments within the city and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, and Texas state law imposes a 6% state Hotel Occupancy Tax on all stays under 30 days. Richmond’s local HOT rate is 7% (the Texas municipal maximum), so the combined tax on short-term stays is 13% (6% state plus 7% city). STR operators must register for and remit both the state HOT and the city’s local HOT; Airbnb and Vrbo typically collect the state portion automatically, but hosts often remain responsible for the local city portion.
Because there is no STR-specific licensing or inspection regime, enforcement is minimal and centered on tax compliance and general nuisance and code rules rather than STR permitting. Fort Bend County continues to defer STR regulation to individual cities and does not permit or regulate STRs in unincorporated areas.
Note: several online ‘Richmond’ STR guides actually describe Richmond, Virginia, Richmond, British Columbia, or Richmond, California; those cities’ biennial permits and primary-residence rules do not apply to Richmond, Texas.
Market Comparison
National benchmarks put the median U.S. short-term rental market at roughly 55% occupancy and a $220 ADR. The Houston metro area STR market that includes Richmond runs above the occupancy benchmark and below the ADR benchmark, at 61.4% occupancy and a $198 ADR in June 2026, consistent with a large, diversified metro rather than a high-ADR resort market.
Richmond’s light regulatory environment (no STR-specific ordinance, tax compliance only) is among the most permissive in this Houston-area batch, notably more so than Sugar Land, which restricts STRs to a discretionary permit in just three zoning districts.
Top property managers in the shared regional market include Phillip Houston Property Manager (439 listings), Evolve (360 listings), and Landing, Inc. (272 listings), though StaySTRA does not have this data broken out uniquely for Richmond; treat these as regional context rather than Richmond-specific figures.
Frequently Asked Questions About Richmond, Texas
Are short-term rentals legal in Richmond, TX?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Richmond?
Does Richmond, TX have the same short-term rental rules as Richmond, VA or Richmond, CA?
What is the average occupancy for the Richmond area STR market?
When is peak season for short-term rentals near Richmond?
What draws visitors to Richmond, TX?
What is the typical home value in Richmond, TX?
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