Tomball, Texas Short-Term Rental Market
Tomball, TX has no dedicated STR permit, only hotel tax registration; the Houston area market averaged $198/night in June 2026.
Quick Answer: Tomball, 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 Tomball. Regulations, taxes, and permit details below are specific to Tomball.
Market Score Breakdown
Five dimensions StaySTRA evaluates per market.
Market Overview
Tomball has not adopted a dedicated short-term rental permit or licensing ordinance. Instead, the city regulates STRs primarily through the hotel occupancy tax framework: any operator renting for less than 30 days must complete a Hotel Registration Form and collect and remit the city’s 7% hotel occupancy tax, on top of Texas’s 6% state hotel occupancy tax, for roughly 13% total lodging tax. Roughly 93 STR properties were operating in Tomball as of 2023, when the city contracted a compliance vendor (Avenu) to monitor and bring operators into compliance, with an education-first rather than punitive rollout.
Tomball is a historic small town about 30 miles north of Houston with a population of roughly 13,655, drawing primarily regional day-trippers and weekend visitors from the greater Houston metro for its German heritage, historic downtown antique shopping, and festivals like the Tomball German Heritage Festival and German Christmas Market.
StaySTRA tracks short-term rental performance at a shared Houston area regional level covering Tomball alongside Baytown, Katy, Magnolia, Missouri City, Montgomery, Pearland, Richmond, Seabrook, Spring and Sugar Land, so the figures below describe the Houston area STR market rather than Tomball alone. Listing-type mix, bedroom mix and top property managers are also tracked at that shared regional level, so this profile omits those breakdowns rather than presenting regional totals as Tomball-specific.
In June 2026, the Houston area STR market posted an average daily rate of $198 and occupancy of 61.4%, producing average monthly revenue of $3,129 per listing. Year over year, occupancy fell 1.8 percentage points, ADR rose 5.6%, and revenue rose a strong 14.8%.
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 Tomball 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 Tomball, so these counts are not Tomball-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 Tomball?
Revenue and nightly-rate breakdowns by bedroom count, property tier, and dwelling type for Tomball 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 (Tomball)
Typical home values, median sale prices, and the 10-year price trend for Tomball 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 Tomball — 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
Short-term rentals are legal and active in Tomball (roughly 93 properties as of 2023). The city has not adopted a dedicated STR permit or licensing ordinance; instead it regulates STRs primarily through the hotel occupancy tax framework. Any operator renting for periods of less than 30 days, explicitly including Airbnb and Vrbo hosts, must complete a Hotel Registration Form and collect and remit the city’s 7% hotel occupancy tax, filed quarterly online via Avenu MuniServices. This 7% city tax is on top of the Texas state 6% hotel occupancy tax, for roughly 13% total lodging tax.
In 2023 the city contracted Avenu to monitor, identify, and bring STRs into compliance; officials stressed an education-first rather than punitive approach, so enforcement is best characterized as moderate. No owner-occupancy, primary-residence, or annual-night-cap requirements were found. Standard nuisance rules (noise, parking) apply, and Harris County may impose additional requirements.
Investors should confirm current zoning-district use rules with the Planning Division and check for any updates under the new 2026 Unified Development Code, adopted in January 2026, which operators should review for any STR-related use provisions.
Market Comparison
The Houston area STR market’s June 2026 occupancy of 61.4% ran above the commonly cited US STR median of roughly 55%, while its $198 ADR ran below the roughly $220 national median, a combination suggesting this market competes on volume and affordability rather than rate, consistent with its identity as a day-trip and weekend-getaway market for the broader Houston metro.
Top property manager data (which operators lead the market, their listing counts and reviews) is tracked at the shared Houston area regional level rather than uniquely for Tomball, so this profile omits operator rankings rather than presenting regional totals as Tomball-specific. Investors researching who manages properties in Tomball should review individual listing pages directly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tomball, Texas
Does Tomball, TX require a short-term rental permit?
What was the average daily rate for STRs in the Houston area in June 2026?
How many short-term rentals operate in Tomball?
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in Tomball?
When is peak season for STRs in the Houston area?
Is short-term rental demand growing in the Houston area?
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