Vacation Rental Management
Vacation Rental Management in Jamaica Beach, TX
On the west end of Galveston Island, Fairly manages Jamaica Beach vacation rentals, from canal homes on West Bay to houses a short walk from the Gulf — your local caretaker looks after every stay, and we collect and remit the state and Jamaica Beach hotel occupancy taxes on every booking.
4.8
Average review in Jamaica Beach, TX
Fairly is an Airbnb Superhost, and our homes average 4.84 stars across 21,000+ guest reviews. Fewer than 4% of stays rate below four stars. Better reviews attract better guests, at higher prices, maximizing your revenue.
Jamaica Beach market overview
Jamaica Beach is a small incorporated city on the west end of Galveston Island, about a dozen miles down San Luis Pass Road from downtown Galveston, with its own city hall and marina. It draws a different trip from Galveston proper: families and fishing groups who want a quieter beach house, often on one of the canals that open onto West Bay, with a dock, kayaks and the Gulf beach a short walk or drive away. Galveston Island State Park borders the city, and the Strand and the Pleasure Pier are a short drive east.
Demand among top-performing homes runs from spring into summer. Spring break lifts March to about half of nights sold, May matches it, and June and July are the peak, with July near four nights in five at the year's highest nightly rates. August falls back below half as Texas schools return, and from October through February occupancy runs between roughly a seventh and a third of nights.
What homes earn in Jamaica Beach, TX
The chart above shows how top-performing vacation rentals in Jamaica Beach have earned month by month. It covers homes listed on Airbnb and Vrbo with an average review score of 4.8 or higher that were available or rented at least 300 days of the year. Canal frontage, a private dock, Gulf views and bedroom count all move a home's results, and the city's occupancy limit caps how many guests a listing can advertise. You can customize a projection for a specific home.
| Month | Total rent | Occupancy | Avg. daily rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | $1,293 | 15% | $278 |
| Feb | $1,693 | 21% | $288 |
| Mar | $5,673 | 50% | $366 |
| Apr | $4,172 | 38% | $366 |
| May | $6,349 | 49% | $418 |
| Jun | $9,996 | 68% | $490 |
| Jul | $12,114 | 78% | $501 |
| Aug | $6,131 | 48% | $412 |
| Sep | $4,207 | 38% | $369 |
| Oct | $3,155 | 29% | $351 |
| Nov | $3,123 | 29% | $359 |
| Dec | $2,424 | 23% | $340 |
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This is based on properties listed on Airbnb, Vrbo, and Booking.com with an average review score of 4.8 out of 5 or higher, limited to homes available or rented at least 300 days a year. Earnings vary based on the unique amenities and qualities of each home.
A guaranteed $5,000 increase in earnings
We guarantee that homeowners coming from self management or other managers will make an extra $5,000 in their first year with Fairly.
Vacation Rental Taxes and Regulations in Jamaica Beach, TX
Can you rent your Jamaica Beach home short term?
Yes. Jamaica Beach allows single-family homes to be rented for stays of fewer than 30 days once the home holds a city registration number, and the city does not limit how many homes may register. Jamaica Beach is its own city, separate from Galveston: a home here needs a Jamaica Beach registration, not a Galveston vacation rental license, and pays the Jamaica Beach hotel occupancy tax rather than Galveston's.
Hotel occupancy taxes
Every stay carries two hotel occupancy taxes: the 6% state tax, administered by the Texas Comptroller, and the City of Jamaica Beach's 9% hotel occupancy tax. Both apply to the nightly rate plus cleaning and pet fees. The city tax is reported quarterly through the city's online portal, due on the 20th of the month after each quarter closes, and a report is required every quarter, including one with no bookings. A registration expires automatically if a quarterly report is 60 days late or the tax is 90 days late.
Registering your rental
Registration runs through the city's short-term rental portal. The owner, any manager and a 24-hour local contact each set up an account and have their role approved first. The property application then asks for the appraisal district parcel number and living area, a floor-plan sketch with room dimensions, a sketch of on-site parking, and proof of $1 million in general liability insurance. Once the city approves it and the fees are paid, it issues a registration certificate showing the registration number and the home's maximum occupancy. The certificate is posted inside the home, the number appears in every listing, and the registration is renewed each year by January 31. It ends when the home is sold, so a buyer registers again.
Local rules that affect operating
The city assigns each home a maximum occupancy, never more than twelve guests, and it must appear in every listing and rental agreement; photos and bed counts can't suggest more. Guests receive the registration number, occupancy limit and parking count in writing. Owners answer for guests' noise, trash and parking citations, and three verified violations within twelve months suspend a registration for six months. The full rules are in the city's short-term rental ordinance, and homeowners' association covenants apply on top of them.
How Fairly handles it
We register your home for the state and Jamaica Beach hotel occupancy taxes, collect both on every booking, and file and remit the returns, including the city's quarterly report. We also assist with the city registration and its renewal each January.
Operating a vacation rental in Jamaica Beach, TX
A Jamaica Beach rental sits between a canal and the Gulf, and both are hard on a house: salt air corrodes fixtures and HVAC coils, docks and boat lifts need regular attention, and sand and mildew follow guests indoors. Hurricane season carries a specific rule here. When Galveston County, the Governor or the Mayor orders a mandatory evacuation, every short-term rental in the city must be emptied of guests, and no stay may be booked or occupied while a disaster declaration covers the city or West Galveston Island, so overlapping reservations are cancelled or moved. The city also requires a local responsible party, living or working in Galveston County, who arrives on site within an hour of a call from the city or police and resolves the problem within two. Your caretaker lives nearby, which is the kind of reachable presence that rule expects.
Frequently asked questions
Fairly charges a flat 20% commission on the rent your Jamaica Beach home earns, paid only when it books, with no long-term contract and no hidden fees. That covers listings on Airbnb, Vrbo and Fairly.com, pricing through the spring-break and summer peak, guest messaging, and collecting and remitting the state and city hotel occupancy taxes.
Yes. Jamaica Beach allows single-family homes to be rented for stays under 30 days with a city registration number, and it doesn't cap how many homes can register. Because Jamaica Beach is its own city, the home registers with Jamaica Beach rather than Galveston, and every listing shows its registration number and city-assigned occupancy limit of no more than twelve guests.
Under the city's short-term rental ordinance, a mandatory evacuation order from Galveston County, the Governor or the Mayor means guests must leave, and no stay can be booked or occupied while a disaster declaration covers the city or West Galveston Island. Reservations that overlap that period are cancelled or rescheduled, and your caretaker checks the home once it is safe to return.
The city requires proof of $1 million in general liability insurance with every short-term rental registration, and the coverage has to stay in place: a lapse is a violation of the ordinance. Flood and windstorm coverage are separate decisions for a home on the island and aren't part of the city's registration requirement.
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Fairly Vacation Rental Management
Serving Jamaica Beach, TX and neighboring areas
Available 24/7