ADUs in San Antonio may be rented long-term but short-term rental use (under 30 days) requires a separate STR permit under UDC § 35-374.01. The owner must occupy the main house or the ADU regardless of which unit is rented. Type 1 STR (owner-occupied) permits ($300/3yrs) are required for ADU short-term rentals; Type 2 permits do not apply to owner-occupied ADUs.
Long-term rental (30+ days) of an ADU is permitted in San Antonio provided the owner continues to occupy either the main house or the ADU as required by UDC § 35-372. Short-term rental of an ADU triggers UDC § 35-374.01, which requires a Type 1 STR permit ($300 for three years) because the owner must remain on-site. The June 13, 2024 ordinance (2024-06-13-0433) significantly strengthened STR enforcement: platforms like Airbnb and VRBO must remove listings lacking valid San Antonio permit numbers, civil enforcement was added through administrative hearing officers, and Type 2 (non-owner-occupied) permits are capped by block-face density rules. For ADU-as-STR, the owner must sign a notarized affidavit confirming on-site occupancy, post emergency information inside the unit, and install smoke and CO detectors. Parking must comply with UDC § 35-526 standards. Three or more verified violations can revoke the STR permit. Both units of a duplex/ADU pair cannot be rented short-term to different parties.
Operating an ADU short-term rental without a Type 1 permit is a code violation with fines up to $500 per day. The 2024 enforcement amendments allow civil penalties through administrative hearings. Three violations of the STR ordinance can result in permit revocation and a multi-year prohibition.
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