🎯 STRisker: Bulletin - Oxford, MS
Oxford Aligns STR Taxes With State Law: Here’s What Hosts Need to Know
Airbnb and VRBO Hosts in Oxford: New Tax Rules Are Now Official
If you operate a short-term rental in Oxford—or you’re thinking about dipping a toe into hosting—there’s an important update to know about. On Tuesday, the Board of Aldermen officially approved a resolution that brings local STR policy in line with a Mississippi state law that took effect back on July 1. In a nutshell: short-term rentals are now required to collect and remit the same hotel/motel tax that traditional hotels already pay.
This shift traces back to Senate Bill 2805, passed during the 2025 legislative session. The bill expands Mississippi’s definition of “hotel” to include short-term rental platforms and booking services. This means big names like Airbnb, VRBO, and other booking platforms will now have to collect Mississippi sales tax and all related hotel taxes on every STR booking, including added service fees.
The updated law also broadens the term “hotel” in ways that matter for STR operators. Under the new definition, a “hotel” is basically any entity or individual offering lodging to paying guests—whether it’s one room, a full house, a tiny home, or something in between. It doesn’t matter how large the property is or what type of structure it uses. If you offer it to the public for short-term stays, it belongs in the same tax category as more traditional lodging businesses.
Oxford’s resolution doesn’t create new local taxes—it simply acknowledges the state’s expanded rules and reinforces the expectation that STRs participate in the same system hotels already do. This helps ensure tax collection is consistent across lodging types and brings clarity to STR operators who may have been uncertain about their obligations since the state’s July update.
For the local community, the shift also means that taxes generated from overnight stays, whether at a downtown inn or a neighborhood guest suite—can continue supporting city services, tourism efforts, and community projects. As short-term rentals become more common in Oxford, aligning the playing field is one step toward keeping things fair and transparent for everyone involved.
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