Bulletin - Tulsa, OK News Today
The first increase since 1984 takes effect January 1, 2027 and reaches short-term rentals with five or more total rooms, a count that includes kitchens and bathrooms under city rules
Tulsa Voters Raise Lodging Tax on Hotels and Short-Term Rentals to 9.9%
The first increase since 1984 takes effect January 1, 2027 and reaches short-term rentals with five or more total rooms, a count that includes kitchens and bathrooms under city rules
Photo by Tyler Fulk on Unsplash
Tulsa voters approved raising the city's lodging tax from 5% to 9.9% on November 3 in unofficial results which means short-term rental operators who collect the tax will charge guests nearly double the current rate starting January 1, 2027. The measure passed with 56.82% of the vote, 61,524 to 46,762 with all 163 precincts reporting and it is the first increase to the tax since 1984. County election boards can certify the results no earlier than 5 p.m. on November 6 unless a contest or recount is filed.
Tulsa City Council resolution calling for the November 3, 2026, special election on raising the city’s hotel lodging tax from 5% to 9.9%. | Source: https://www.cityoftulsa.org/
What changes for short-term rental operators
The vote ratifies Ordinance No. 25830 which amends the city's Hotel Tax Code to levy 9.9% on gross receipts from every occupancy of a hotel room after the City Council voted in July to send the proposal to the ballot. The council says the tax covers hotels, motels, inns and short-term rentals listed on Airbnb and Vrbo with five or more rooms even when the rooms sit in separate buildings. That threshold is wider than it sounds because the city's short-term rental rules count bedrooms, bathrooms, dining rooms and kitchens toward the five-room total so a property does not need five bedrooms to fall under the tax.
Tulsa Ordinance No. 25830 raising the city’s hotel lodging tax from 5% to 9.9%, effective January 1, 2027 following voter approval on November 3, 2026. | Source: https://www.cityoftulsa.org/
The tax applies to stays of fewer than 30 consecutive days and exempts permanent residents, government agencies and veterans certified by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as 100% permanently disabled. Food, drinks and parking are not taxed while the city's finance department lists cleaning and pet fees among the taxable charges.
City of Tulsa's Lodging Tax Information
Official city guide detailing lodging tax rates, exemptions, collection requirements, and filing procedures for hotel operator
How collection and filing work
Operators file and remit the tax monthly with returns due on the last day of the month after collection and a 3% discount for payments that reach the city by the 15th. Airbnb has collected the city's lodging tax on Tulsa bookings since March 2018 under a voluntary agreement and its tax page still lists the 5% rate applied to reservations of 29 nights or fewer. Hosts whose bookings fall outside a platform agreement remain responsible for collecting the tax themselves.
Kevin Canfield Tulsa World
Daniela Julio-Cano
Where the revenue goes
The council estimates the new rate will raise $20.6 million a year compared with the $10.4 million expected at 5% in 2026. The first phase of the spending plan calls for issuing $80 million in revenue bonds toward $128 million in upgrades at the BOK Center and Arvest Convention Center and a second phase beginning January 1, 2031 would shift more money toward tourism marketing. Council Chair Karen Gilbert said the increase brings Tulsa's rate in line with comparable cities.
⦾ Status: Approved by voters on November 3, 2026 (unofficial; certification no earlier than November 6)
⦾ New rate: 9.9%, up from 5%
⦾ Effective date: January 1, 2027
⦾ Who it covers: Hotels, motels, inns and short-term rentals with five or more total rooms, including kitchens and bathrooms
⦾ Taxable stays: Fewer than 30 consecutive days
⦾ Exemptions: Permanent residents (30+ consecutive days), government entities, 100% permanently disabled veterans
⦾ Filing: Monthly, due the last day of the following month; 3% discount if paid by the 15th
⦾ Platform collection: Airbnb collects the city lodging tax on Tulsa bookings; its tax page lists 5% as of November 5, 2026
⦾ STR license: Required before advertising; $375 per unit per year, expiring June 30
⦾ Penalty: Up to $1,200 per violation of the city's short-term rental rules; lodging tax late-payment penalties not stated on the city's tax page
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