Fort Worth allows long-term rental of an ADU (30+ days) but only when the primary dwelling is owner-occupied (Zoning Ord. Sec. 5.300). Short-term rentals under 30 days are restricted under Fort Worth Code Ch. 7 (Short-Term Rentals), which requires registration, occupancy limits, and excludes most residential districts.
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.
Operating an unregistered STR or an STR in a prohibited district violates Fort Worth City Code Chapter 7 Article XVI. Citations under Tex. Loc. Gov. Code 54.001 carry fines up to $2,000 per day per violation in municipal court. Repeat violations may trigger an injunction. The city also reports unpermitted listings to Airbnb, Vrbo, and other platforms for removal under the STR ordinance's platform enforcement provisions.
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