What rules apply to vacation rentals in Sinaloa, Mexico?
If you manage vacation rentals in Sinaloa, the law everyone's arguing about is the state's tourism promotion law, the Ley para el Fomento del Turismo, which dates from 1988 and was last updated in August 2023. In June 2026 Mazatlán's chamber of commerce, Canaco Servytur, and the Tres Islas hotel association asked for it to be amended so vacation rentals pay into destination marketing the way hotels already do, but so far that's an industry request, not a bill that's been voted on. Upbridge's AI operations assistant, Cleo, works over WhatsApp with vacation rental operators and cleaning companies and organizes the cleanings and the inventory for each place.
The rules here
We checked these rows on September 25, 2026.
| Topic | What it says | Status | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term rental law | Sinaloa has no law of its own for short-stay rentals. Mazatlán's hoteliers want the tourism promotion law to make them pay into destination marketing, the same as hotels. | No specific law | Requested in June 2026 | Revista Espejo |
| Lodging tax | The rate is 3%, according to El Contribuyente and Vezpa, and it's filed within the first 17 days of the following month. | In force | In force in 2025 and 2026 | El Contribuyente |
| What's collected from Airbnb | In April 2023, Sinaloa's tourism secretary, Estrella Palacios, said a percentage was already being collected from Airbnb and going into the tourism promotion budget. She didn't say how much. | No specific law | Statement from April 2023 | Luz Noticias |
| Host registry | We found no state host registry in Sinaloa. | No specific law | Checked on September 25, 2026 | Upbridge search |
Separately from the state, the platforms withhold income tax and VAT from hosts for the SAT, and we go through that on the page that covers all of Mexico.
This is not legal or tax advice, and Upbridge does not file anything for you: no registrations and no tax returns.
How it works on the ground
The two stories about promotion money don't match. In 2023 the tourism department said Airbnb was already paying a percentage, and in 2026 the chamber of commerce says Mazatlán's vacation rentals aren't paying in. For a manager, that means whatever fee comes out of the reform has no amount yet, and it's not worth running numbers with your owners on something nobody has voted on.
At the same meeting, the hotel sector asked for more highway security for people driving in from other states over the summer holidays, according to Viva la Noticia. So in those weeks a lot of guests arrive by car, at an hour that depends on how the drive went, and it helps if they can get in without anyone waiting at the door.
The 3% tax is filed every month. If your homes are on Airbnb and also take direct bookings, honestly, it's worth making sure your accountant knows from day one whether a platform is already collecting anything on your behalf, because in Sinaloa the tourism department and the hoteliers don't tell that story the same way.
Where Upbridge fits
For guests who drive in over the summer, we build each home's guide and they open it on their phone, in English or Spanish, with directions and how to get in. With online check-in they upload their ID before arriving, and you can turn on a PIN and a rental agreement. It's on the guest guide page.
So summer checkouts don't depend on anyone's memory, we connect your Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify or Uplisting calendar, or bring it in by iCal, and every checkout creates its cleaning task with a room-by-room list and photos. It's explained on the cleaning checklists page.
If you manage vacation rentals or clean homes in Sinaloa, in Mazatlán or anywhere else in the state, Upbridge can help with everything between one arrival and the next, whatever time the guest turns up.
If you run a cleaning company in Sinaloa
What drives your day here is the seasons, because in summer a lot of people drive in from other states and the arrival time moves with the road. With the account for cleaning companies you bring every owner's iCal or PMS into one calendar, in Mazatlán or anywhere else in the state. The client stays yours, and we don't charge a commission on any job.
Cities and areas
Mazatlán
That's where the reform request comes from, and the head of the local chamber of commerce puts the number of vacation rentals there at about 8,000. Its page covers how full it gets during Carnaval, what's said about its malecón, and how guests arrive from Canada and from La Paz.
Questions about running rentals in Sinaloa
Has Sinaloa changed its tourism law for vacation rentals?
No. In June 2026 Mazatlán's Canaco Servytur and the Tres Islas hotel association asked for the Ley para el Fomento del Turismo to be amended. The law dates from 1988 and was updated in August 2023, and as of September 25, 2026 we found no bill that's been voted on.
What's the lodging tax rate in Sinaloa?
It's 3%, filed within the first 17 days of the following month, according to El Contribuyente.
Does Airbnb pay anything to the state of Sinaloa?
In April 2023 the tourism secretary said a percentage was already being collected from Airbnb for tourism promotion, without saying how much. In June 2026 Mazatlán's chamber of commerce said vacation rentals aren't paying into that fund.
Sources
Checked on September 25, 2026
- Revista Espejo, “Buscan hoteleros meter en cintura con impuestos a rentas vacacionales en Mazatlán” (in Spanish), June 15, 2026.
- Viva la Noticia, “El sector hotelero de Mazatlán busca que se generen modificaciones a la Ley de Turismo de Sinaloa” (in Spanish), June 15, 2026.
- El Contribuyente, table of lodging tax rates and deadlines by state (in Spanish), page dated April 21, 2025.
- Luz Noticias, “En Mazatlán sí se están regulando las rentas vacacionales, asegura turismo” (in Spanish), April 14, 2023.
- Vezpa, “ISH México 2026: qué es, tasas por estado y CFDI” (in Spanish), April 19, 2026.