Short-Term Rentals in San Antonio, TX

If you live in San Antonio or are thinking about moving there, short-term rentals are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. San Antonio has 10 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of short-term rentals, and some of them might surprise you.

Host Platform Liability

San Antonio requires every short-term rental listing to display a valid city permit number, and it makes hosting platforms responsible for pulling noncompliant listings. Under Sec. 16-1103(c), the city notifies a platform when a listing lacks a permit number or shows one that is invalid, expired or revoked, and the platform must remove the listing within ten business days.

Key details: Removal window: 10 business days after city notice. Governing section: Sec. 16-1103(c). Enforcing office: Development Services Department. Permit fee: $300 Type 1 / $450 Type 2. Operating without permit: Class C misdemeanor, $100-$500/day.

Operating a short-term rental without a valid city permit is a class C misdemeanor under Sec. 16-1110(i)(1), punishable by a fine between $100 and $500 per occurrence, with each day counted as a separate offense. A platform that fails to remove a flagged listing within the ten-business-day window after the city's notice is out of compliance with Sec. 16-1103(c), and the underlying permit can be denied, suspended or revoked by the director under Sec. 16-1111.

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

San Antonio's Type 1 short-term rental category is reserved for units that are owner- or operator-occupied under Sec. 16-1107(a). A non-owner-occupied unit must instead permit as a more restricted Type 2 rental, which cannot rent less than a whole dwelling and pays a higher fee.

Key details: Type 1 requirement: Owner or operator occupied. Type 2 requirement: Not owner or operator occupied. Type 2 restriction: Must rent entire dwelling unit. Governing section: Sec. 16-1107(a)-(b). Occupancy proof: Homestead exemption or vehicle registration.

Misclassifying a non-owner-occupied unit as Type 1, or renting out a partial unit under a Type 2 permit, violates Sec. 16-1107 and is enforceable under Sec. 16-1110; operating under the wrong permit tier is a class C misdemeanor fined $100 to $500 per occurrence, and the city can revoke the permit and bar reapplication on that property for twelve months.

Repeat Violator Strikes

A San Antonio short-term rental permit must be revoked once a property racks up three or more citations accepted by municipal court within a rolling three-year period, under Sec. 16-1110(b), whether those citations were issued to the operator or to occupants.

Key details: Strike threshold: 3+ citations, 3 separate occasions. Lookback period: Rolling 3-year period. Governing section: Sec. 16-1110(b); revocation Sec. 16-1111. Reapplication bar: 12 months after revocation. Appeal window: 20 calendar days to director.

Reaching three citations accepted by municipal court at one STR address within a rolling three-year period triggers mandatory permit revocation under Sec. 16-1110(b); operating after revocation is a separate class C misdemeanor under Sec. 16-1110(i)(1), fined $100 to $500, and the owner/operator is barred from reapplying for that property for twelve months under Sec. 16-1111(b).

This is one of the stricter rules in San Antonio's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Taxes & Fees

San Antonio requires every short-term rental owner or operator to file a monthly Hotel Occupancy Tax report under Sec. 16-1104.01, even in months with zero rental revenue. Platforms that collect the state HOT must also collect and remit the city's and Bexar County's local HOT on the host's behalf.

Key details: Report due: Last day of month following period. Zero-revenue months: Still require a report, enter "0". Governing section: Sec. 16-1104.01. Late payment grace: 90 days before revocation trigger. Cross-reference: General HOT authority, Sec. 31-70.

Failing to file a monthly HOT report, including a required zero-revenue report, triggers penalty and interest charges and can result in short-term rental permit revocation under Sec. 16-1104.01(b). Sec. 16-1110(d) treats unpaid HOT as a permit-revocation trigger specifically if the arrearage is not paid within ninety days of a delinquency notice.

Insurance Requirements

San Antonio requires every short-term rental applicant to carry, at minimum, a liability insurance policy covering guest personal injury under Sec. 16-1108(c), and to self-certify that coverage when applying for the permit.

Key details: Coverage required: Personal injury liability of guests. Governing section: Sec. 16-1108(c). Certification: Sworn self-certification at application, Sec. 16-1104(a)(5). Minimum dollar amount: Not fixed in the code text. False certification penalty: 1-year reapplication bar.

Operating without the required liability insurance, or falsely certifying coverage on the permit application, violates Sec. 16-1108(c) and Sec. 16-1104(a); a false certification carries a one-year bar on reapplying for that property, and a violation of the article's general standards is enforceable as a class C misdemeanor under Sec. 16-1110, fined $100 to $500, in addition to administrative permit revocation.

Short-Term Rental Permits

San Antonio requires STR permits through Development Services Department under UDC §35-374.01. Type 1 (owner-occupied) permits cost $300/3 years; Type 2 (non-owner-occupied) cost $450/3 years. The June 2024 ordinance amendment strengthened enforcement, requiring platforms to remove unpermitted listings.

Key details: Code Section: UDC §35-374.01. Type 1 Fee: $300/3 years. Type 2 Fee: $450/3 years. Platform Enforcement: Must remove unpermitted.

Operating without permit: fines starting at $500/day. Repeat offenders: up to $2,000/day. Third violation: mandatory meeting with DSD director. Permit revocation for up to 3 years.

Host Presence Rule

Under Sec. 16-1107(a)(2), a San Antonio Type 1 short-term rental requires that the owner be generally present at the property while it operates, distinguishing it from a whole-unit Type 2 rental where the owner need not be there.

Key details: Presence rule: Owner generally present, Type 1 only. Governing section: Sec. 16-1107(a)(2). Type 2 alternative: No presence rule, whole unit only. Required contact: 24-hour operator or agent phone number. Response window: Contact occupants within 1 hour of citation.

A Type 1 host who is not generally present while continuing to rent out a partial unit is operating outside the terms of Sec. 16-1107(a) and can have the STR permit denied at renewal or revoked under Sec. 16-1111; a violation of the article is a strict-liability class C misdemeanor under Sec. 16-1110(i)(1), fined $100 to $500, with each day a separate offense.

Noise Rules

San Antonio short-term rentals must observe quiet hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday under Sec. 16-1108(e), and repeated noise complaints can get a property labeled a "problem property" subject to permit revocation.

Key details: Quiet hours, Sun-Thu: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.. Quiet hours, Fri-Sat: 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.. Decibel cap: 63 dB, residential, from adjoining property. Governing section: Sec. 16-1108(e); definitions Sec. 16-1101. Strike trigger: 3+ citations in rolling 3-year period.

A noise citation issued at a permitted STR counts toward the three-strikes revocation trigger in Sec. 16-1110(b): three or more citations accepted by municipal court at one property within a rolling three-year period, from either the operator or occupants, are grounds to revoke the permit. Refusing the director's compliance-meeting request under Sec. 16-1110(j) is itself treated as evidence of culpability.

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Short-term rental operators must identify the off-street parking spaces serving the property on the permit application and comply with the parking standards in UDC Section 35-526 applicable to the underlying residential use; on-street parking does not satisfy the requirement.

Key details: Parking Sketch: Required every application. Off-Street Parking: UDC Sec. 35-526 ratios. Street Parking: Does not count toward. Density Cap: 12.5% per block face. Violation Trigger: 3 in 12 months revokes.

Inadequate or misrepresented parking on an STR application is grounds for permit denial or revocation. Vehicles parked in violation of yard surface or right-of-way rules can be cited under Chapter 19 with fines that escalate for repeat offenses, and three substantiated violations within a 12-month period can trigger STR permit revocation under the 2024 ordinance amendments.

The rules around short-term rental parking rules in San Antonio lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Occupancy Limits

San Antonio's STR ordinance (UDC § 35-374.01, updated by Ordinance 2024-06-13-0433) requires STR permit applications to specify maximum guest capacity, with sleeping areas and emergency evacuation routes detailed in submitted plans. The permit specifies the allowed number of guests based on habitable space, fire egress, and parking availability.

Key details: Code Section: UDC § 35-374.01; Ordinance 2024-06-13-0433. Capacity Basis: Based on habitable space, egress, and parking. Plan Required: Floor plan showing sleeping areas and max guests. Fire Safety: Evacuation routes and extinguisher locations required. ADU Rule: Owner must reside on-site if ADU is used as STR.

This is one of the stricter rules in San Antonio's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

San Antonio is tougher than many cities when it comes to short-term rentals. Out of the 10 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in San Antonio, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from San Antonio's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.