Austin short-term rental rules
The 2025 code revision changed Austin's short-term rental rules. A City license is required for stays of fewer than 30 nights; from July 1, 2026, booking platforms can be asked by the City to remove unlicensed listings. Owners currently need to meet the following requirements.
Discuss the work involved with our Austin management services or contact Austin Hosts about your home.
Austin's requirements for owners of short-term rentals
Four license types
Type 1 for owner-occupied homes, Type 2 Residential for a whole home you do not live in, Type 2 Commercial, and Type 3 for a unit in a multifamily building.
Fees and timing
A new license costs $736.60 and a renewal $369.60. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for a new single-family application.
License number in every ad
The operator’s license number must appear in each listing, and platforms must now show it.
A local contact
Someone living in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop or Caldwell County who can respond within two hours.
Hotel occupancy tax
11% for the City of Austin plus 6% for the State of Texas. Since April 1, 2025, City tax collection has been handled by platforms; owners remain responsible for filing quarterly reports.
Quiet hours
No amplified sound audible beyond the property line between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m.
License finder
Which Austin license would your home need?
1. Is the home inside Austin city limits?
2. Is it a unit in an apartment or condo building (multifamily)?
3. Do you live there, or is it tied to your own home (for example a guest house)?
Outside the city limits, in the Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), the City says no Austin STR license is needed and no City hotel tax is due. The 6% State of Texas hotel tax still applies.
Type 3: a whole unit that is part of a multifamily building. On multifamily sites one person may operate the greater of one unit or 10% of the units. A new license costs $736.60, a renewal $369.60. Confirm with the City before you apply; we go through it on the call.
Type 1: owner-occupied, or tied to an owner-occupied home, and not part of a multifamily building. A new license costs $736.60, a renewal $369.60. Confirm with the City before you apply; we go through it on the call.
Type 2: a whole home you do not live in, not part of a multifamily building. Type 2 Commercial also cannot be within 1,000 ft of another Type 2 licensed STR. A new license costs $736.60, a renewal $369.60. Confirm with the City before you apply; we go through it on the call.
Source: City of Austin, Short-Term Rentals and Ordinance 20250911-012 (§ 4-23-22 for the license number in each listing), checked October 2026. Consult the City page for current rules before submitting an application.