Galveston Requires a Unique GVR Number Per Unit: What Every Host Must Know

If you rent out more than one unit on a single Galveston property, you do not get away with one registration. The city requires a separate Galveston Vacation Rental number for every rentable unit, a rule that catches multi-unit operators off guard and turns a single property into multiple compliance obligations, each carrying its own $250 annual fee.

A Registration System Built Around One Identifier

Galveston has been ahead of most Texas cities on short-term rental oversight. The city started requiring registration back in 2015, when Ordinance 15-012 passed. The entire system is built around a single identifier: the GVR number. Every property used as a short-term rental must hold one, and every rentable unit on that property must have its own unique registration number. That distinction matters enormously if you operate a duplex, a garage apartment alongside a main house, or any multi-unit setup. What looks like one property to you looks like two (or more) registration obligations to the city.

The annual registration fee is $250 per unit, collected directly by the city. When you apply, you will need to provide the property address or GCAD number, the number of bedrooms, the sleeping capacity, and the name and phone number of a twenty-four-hour contact who lives within one hour of the property. That local-contact requirement is not optional, and the one-hour radius is specific.

Your GVR Number Must Appear in Every Ad

Since Ordinance 21-021 took effect, the GVR number is not just a back-office detail. It has to appear on any and all advertisements. That means every Airbnb listing, every Vrbo page, every direct-booking site, and any other platform where your property is marketed. If your listing is live without the number displayed, you are already out of compliance. Hosts who have been operating for years without updating their listings to include the GVR number should treat this as an urgent fix, not a future to-do.

Two Tax Returns, Both Due on the Twentieth

Registration is only part of the obligation. Galveston hosts also owe hotel occupancy tax at two levels: a 6 percent state rate collected by the Texas Comptroller, and a separate local hotel occupancy tax collected by the city itself. Because Galveston collects its own local tax rather than routing it through the state, you file two returns, not one. Both are due by the twentieth of the month following the reporting period. If your property generates under $500 of tax a month or under $1,500 a quarter, you may file quarterly instead of monthly, but the twentieth deadline still applies.

Even if a platform like Airbnb collects and remits lodging tax on your behalf, the filing obligation does not disappear. Hosts are responsible for confirming what the platform covers and submitting any returns the city requires.

What Hosts Should Do Right Now

• Count your rentable units, not just your properties. Each unit needs its own GVR number and its own $250 annual registration.
• Check every active listing and confirm the GVR number is displayed. Ordinance 21-021 makes this mandatory on all advertisements.
• Verify your local-contact information is current. The city requires a twenty-four-hour contact living within one hour of the property.
• Set a calendar reminder for the twentieth of each month for your hotel occupancy tax filings, or confirm you qualify for quarterly filing.
• File two separate tax returns: one with the Texas Comptroller for the 6 percent state rate, one with the city for the local rate.

Galveston's framework is one of the more established in Texas, which means enforcement expectations are also more mature. Getting the unit-level registration right from the start is far less painful than correcting it after a complaint or audit.

For the complete Galveston compliance guide including tax calculator, checklist, and daily monitoring, see Galveston, TX STR Regulations.