Dallas, TX Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Two distinct rental restrictions govern accessory dwelling units built under a Dallas ADU overlay. First, Sec. 510(c)(5) states plainly: "Single family rental program. " That ties any rented ADU to the registration and inspection duties of Dallas's broader single-family rental ordinance, layering an extra compliance step on top of the overlay approval itself. Second, Sec. " That keeps ADU overlay lots as single legal parcels rather than becoming de facto duplex lots that could be sold off unit by unit. The code also relaxes one restriction specific to ADUs: Sec.

510(c)(1)(C) exempts an ADU from the general prohibition on advertisements found in Sec. 209(b)(6)(E)(vii)(bb), meaning an ADU owner is not barred by that specific sign rule from advertising the unit the way other accessory uses are. Together these three provisions define the commercial boundaries around an ADU rental in Dallas: register it in the city's rental program, never sell it apart from the house, but advertising the rental itself is not blocked by the accessory-use sign rule that would otherwise apply.