Short-Term Rental Regulations · Broken Bow / Hochatown, OK
Is Broken Bow short-term-rental friendly?
Hochatown and Broken Bow are workable but regulated STR markets. The Hochatown area is the incorporated Town of Hochatown, which requires a short-term rental license ($300 initial, $100 annual renewal, $250 monthly late fee), a 4% town lodging tax remitted monthly, and it adopted a zoning ordinance with STR provisions on April 2, 2025. Inside Broken Bow city limits, Ordinance No. 428 confines short-term rentals to the C-5 Highway Commercial and Commercial Recreation zoning districts, and a 5% city lodging tax took effect January 1, 2026. Neither jurisdiction sets residency or cap limits, and no county-level STR permit appears in the official McCurtain County materials reviewed, though the county levies a 3% lodging tax in unincorporated areas. Confirm which jurisdiction and zoning apply to a specific parcel before listing.
Last updated: . Every fact links to its official source.
Town-by-town rules
| Town | Permit required? | Annual cost | Primary-residence / night-cap limits | Lodging tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town of Hochatown (McCurtain County) | Short-term rentals in the Hochatown area must be licensed by the incorporated Town of Hochatown under its Short-Term Rental ordinance (Ordinance No. 6, as amended by Ordinance No. 10). First-time licensing, renewal, remittance, change of cabin management, and license termination all run through the Town's STR portal, which has been transitioning from Avenu to Granicus since October 1, 2024. No county-level STR permit or registration was found in the official McCurtain County materials reviewed. (Town of Hochatown Short Term Rentals Licensing and Taxes (opens in a new tab), Town of Hochatown Ordinance No. 10 (STR fee amendments) (opens in a new tab), McCurtain County Treasurer Financials (official county site) (opens in a new tab)) | The Town of Hochatown STR initial registration fee is $300 (waivable for dwellings operating as STRs before the ordinance if registered by September 1, 2024 with no past-due town lodging tax). The annual renewal fee is $100, due on or before July 1 each year. A $250 per month late fee applies if a property is not registered or the annual license fee is not submitted on time (Ordinance No. 10, Section 4-6-4). (Town of Hochatown Ordinance No. 10 (STR fee amendments) (opens in a new tab)) | None found in the cited official materials. The Town of Hochatown STR licensing materials and the McCurtain County official materials reviewed contain no owner-occupancy requirement, primary-residence rule, or cap on the number of short-term rentals. (Town of Hochatown Short Term Rentals Licensing and Taxes (opens in a new tab), Town of Hochatown Ordinance No. 10 (STR fee amendments) (opens in a new tab), McCurtain County Treasurer Financials (official county site) (opens in a new tab)) | The Town of Hochatown lodging tax is 4%, effective May 1, 2023, on all lodging within town limits, remitted monthly to the Town. Sales taxes on lodging total 9.25%: 4.5% Oklahoma state, 1.75% McCurtain County, and 3% Town of Hochatown (Oklahoma Tax Commission COPO 4524 and 4588). Oklahoma has no statewide lodging tax; lodging taxes are levied locally by counties and municipalities. How the county's separate 3% lodging tax (COPO 4588) interacts with the town's 4% tax inside Hochatown town limits was not addressed in the official materials reviewed, so confirm with the Town or the Oklahoma Tax Commission. (Town of Hochatown Lodging Tax FAQs (October 2024) (opens in a new tab), Oklahoma Tax Commission COPO rate chart, 4th Quarter 2025 (opens in a new tab), Oklahoma Tax Commission Sales and Use Tax overview (opens in a new tab)) |
| Broken Bow | The City of Broken Bow has no dedicated short-term rental permit or license program in the official city materials reviewed. Instead, Ordinance No. 428 (passed February 20, 2024, effective February 21, 2024, codified at Sec. 56-140) defines a short-term or nightly rental as a rental of property for residential purposes for fewer than 30 consecutive nights and permits STRs only in areas zoned Commercial C-5 Highway Commercial and the Commercial Recreation District (Sec. 56-396). Properties previously established as hotels or motels for an extended period are grandfathered. A general city business license is required to operate. (City of Broken Bow Ordinance No. 428, Sec. 56-140 (opens in a new tab), City of Broken Bow Business License page (opens in a new tab)) | The City's business license packet lists a $75 annual business license fee; the licensing period runs July 1 to June 30 and must be renewed annually, with prorated amounts quoted by the City for new businesses. No STR-specific fee was found in the cited official city materials. Grandfathered hotel or motel properties must meet new-build building requirements and obtain any required permits for construction or renovation (Ordinance No. 428). (City of Broken Bow Business Development Packet (business license application) (opens in a new tab), City of Broken Bow Ordinance No. 428, Sec. 56-140 (opens in a new tab)) | None found in the cited official materials. Ordinance No. 428 imposes no owner-occupancy or primary-residence requirement; the binding constraint is the zoning district, not residency. (City of Broken Bow Ordinance No. 428, Sec. 56-140 (opens in a new tab), City of Broken Bow Business License page (opens in a new tab)) | Sales taxes on lodging total 10.25%: 4.5% Oklahoma state, 1.75% McCurtain County, and 4% City of Broken Bow (Oklahoma Tax Commission COPO 4508, city rate also shown in the OTC city tax rate news release). The City of Broken Bow lodging tax is 5%, listed by the Oklahoma Tax Commission as new effective January 1, 2026 ('4508 Broken Bow 0% to 5% Lodging New January 1, 2026'). Oklahoma has no statewide lodging tax; lodging taxes are local. The county's 3% lodging tax applies to lodging in unincorporated McCurtain County outside the larger cities' limits; confirm parcel-level treatment with the Oklahoma Tax Commission. (Oklahoma Tax Commission COPO rate chart, 4th Quarter 2025 (opens in a new tab), Oklahoma Tax Commission Sales Tax News Release (City Tax Rate, September 2026) (opens in a new tab), Oklahoma Statutes 68 O.S. 1370.9, Lodging Tax (OSCN) (opens in a new tab)) |
"Not found" means the restriction was not located in the linked official materials reviewed as of the update date. It does not prove that no later, uncodified, parcel-specific, or special-district rule applies.
Good to know
- Town of Hochatown (McCurtain County): Hochatown is an incorporated town (its lodging tax took effect May 1, 2023), so town rules, not county rules, govern STR licensing and the town lodging tax there: annual license, $250 monthly late fee exposure, monthly 4% remittance, a 24-hour complaint hotline, and a town zoning ordinance adopted April 2, 2025 that includes a Short-Term Rental use section (20-3-10). McCurtain County's 3% lodging tax applies to lodging in unincorporated areas outside Broken Bow, Idabel, and Valliant per the county's own lodging tax reporting. Confirm the parcel is inside town limits and check current town portals before listing, since licensing and tax administration changed in 2024. (Town of Hochatown Short Term Rentals Licensing and Taxes (opens in a new tab), Town of Hochatown Zoning Ordinance (adopted April 2, 2025) (opens in a new tab), McCurtain County Treasurer, County Lodging Tax collections report (opens in a new tab))
- Broken Bow: Inside Broken Bow city limits, Ordinance No. 428 confines short-term rentals to the C-5 Highway Commercial and Commercial Recreation districts, which excludes typical residential zoning, and the city added a 5% lodging tax effective January 1, 2026. Most Beavers Bend area cabins sit outside city limits in unincorporated McCurtain County or the Town of Hochatown, where different licensing and tax rules apply. Verify the parcel's jurisdiction, zoning, and tax registrations before purchase or listing. (City of Broken Bow Ordinance No. 428, Sec. 56-140 (opens in a new tab), Oklahoma Tax Commission COPO rate chart, 4th Quarter 2025 (opens in a new tab), Town of Hochatown Short Term Rentals Licensing and Taxes (opens in a new tab))
FAQ
Do I need a license to operate a short-term rental in Hochatown?
Yes. The incorporated Town of Hochatown requires an STR license: $300 initial registration, $100 annual renewal due by July 1, and a $250 per month late fee if unregistered or unrenewed. Owners also remit the town's 4% lodging tax monthly through the town's portal, which transitioned from Avenu to Granicus on October 1, 2024.
Are short-term rentals allowed everywhere in the City of Broken Bow?
No. Ordinance No. 428, effective February 21, 2024, permits short-term rentals (fewer than 30 consecutive nights) only in the C-5 Highway Commercial and Commercial Recreation zoning districts, with grandfathering limited to properties long established as hotels or motels. The city has no dedicated STR permit, but a $75 annual general business license applies.
What taxes apply to short-term rentals in the Broken Bow and Hochatown area?
In Hochatown, combined sales tax is 9.25% (4.5% state, 1.75% county, 3% town) plus a 4% town lodging tax remitted monthly to the Town. Inside Broken Bow city limits, combined sales tax is 10.25% (4.5% state, 1.75% county, 4% city) plus the city's 5% lodging tax effective January 1, 2026. Oklahoma has no statewide lodging tax; lodging taxes are levied locally.
Does McCurtain County require anything from short-term rental owners?
No county STR permit or registration was found in the official McCurtain County materials reviewed. The county levies a 1.75% sales tax and a 3% lodging tax on lodging in unincorporated areas outside Broken Bow, Idabel, and Valliant. Because the Town of Hochatown incorporated and now handles STR licensing and its own 4% lodging tax there, confirm with the town, the city, or the Oklahoma Tax Commission which rules apply to a specific parcel.
General information, not legal advice. Short-term rental rules change, so verify current requirements with the jurisdiction before listing.