Fort Worth, TX Accessory Structures: ADU Rental Restrictions (2026)

Under Fort Worth Zoning Ordinance Section 5.300, the ADU may be leased only if either it OR the primary dwelling is owner-occupied. Texas does not preempt local short-term rental regulation as broadly as some states, though SB 1380 (88R) imposed certain procedural protections. Fort Worth's short-term rental ordinance, adopted in 2024 (City Code Chapter 7 Article XVI), requires every STR operator to register annually with the city, collect 9% city hotel occupancy tax plus 6% state HOT (Tex. Tax Code Ch. 156, 351), maintain liability insurance, and limit overnight occupancy to 2 persons per bedroom plus 2 (e.g., 2-BR limit of 6). STRs are PROHIBITED in most single-family residential districts (A-5, A-7.5, A-10, A-21) - they are allowed only in specific mixed-use, urban-village, and commercial districts. So an ADU rented for under 30 days in a typical Fort Worth single-family neighborhood is illegal both under the STR ordinance and the Zoning Ordinance. Long-term ADU rentals (30+ days) are permitted as long as the owner-occupancy rule is met. Rental income from an ADU is treated as residential rental income for Texas property tax purposes; the homestead exemption applies only to the owner-occupied portion.