13 verified short-term rentals rules for Arlington, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Arlington requires STR permits through ArlingtonPermits.com with a $500 non-refundable annual fee. STRs are restricted to a designated STR Zone near the entertainment district. Over 90% of the city is off-limits to short-term rentals under Ord. 19-014.
Arlington STRs must comply with general noise ordinance. Many cities impose stricter quiet hours for rentals. Complaints can trigger permit review.
Tex. Penal Code Sec. 42.01 (Disorderly Conduct - Unreasonable Noise)
Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly:(1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;(2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;...
Short-term rentals in Arlington are subject to the state hotel occupancy tax (6 percent under Texas Tax Code Chapter 156), the city hotel occupancy tax under Tax Code Chapter 351 (9 percent in Arlington), and local STR registration fees. Operators must register annually with the city, collect and remit HOT monthly or quarterly, and comply with the STR ordinance adopted in the Entertainment District and citywide.
Arlington's short-term rental ordinance requires that all guest vehicles park on-site in the driveway or dedicated parking pad, with a cap tied to bedroom count. Street parking is discouraged and specifically prohibited for STR guests in many neighborhoods around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field where event-day parking is already contested. Overnight parking on unpaved surfaces is prohibited citywide.
Arlington's short-term rental ordinance caps guest occupancy based on bedroom count, typically two guests per bedroom plus up to two additional, with an overall ceiling tied to the unit's International Property Maintenance Code floor-area and egress standards. Events, parties, and weddings at STRs are not permitted without a separate event authorization, and violations can trigger fines and registration revocation.
Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.010
Sec. 92.010. OCCUPANCY LIMITS. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the maximum number of adults that a landlord may allow to occupy a dwelling is three times the number of bedrooms in the dwelling. (b) A landlord may allow an occupancy rate of more than three adult tenants per bedroom: (1) to the extent that the landlord is required by a state or federal fair housing law to allow a higher...
Arlington requires short-term rental operators to carry liability insurance, typically at a minimum of $500,000 to $1,000,000 per occurrence, and to provide proof of coverage at registration. Standard homeowner policies usually exclude commercial short-term rental use, so hosts need either a dedicated STR policy, a homeowner endorsement, or reliance on platform-provided coverage that meets the city's minimums.
Arlington's short-term rental ordinance does not impose a blanket annual night cap on hosted STRs, but certain zoning overlays and the Entertainment District rules can limit operations in non-permitted areas. Non-owner-occupied STRs are only allowed in specific zoning districts; operating outside those districts is prohibited regardless of night count. Operators should confirm the zoning of each property before marketing.
Tex. Tax Code Sec. 156.001 (Hotel - Definition Encompassing Short-Term Rentals)
Sec. 156.001. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this chapter, "hotel" means a building in which members of the public obtain sleeping accommodations for consideration. The term includes a hotel, motel, tourist home, tourist house, tourist court, lodging house, inn, rooming house, or bed and breakfast. The term does not include:(1) a hospital, sanitarium, or nursing home;(2) a dormitory or other housing facil...
Arlington requires all short-term rental operators to register with the city, pay hotel occupancy tax, and comply with zoning restrictions that limit STRs to specific districts. Registration includes safety inspections, local contact designation, and occupancy limits tied to bedroom count.
Arlington does not require the property owner or operator to be physically present during a short-term rental stay, allowing fully unhosted whole-home rentals so long as the local STR permit, occupancy caps, and 24-hour responsible-party contact requirements are satisfied.
Arlington does not restrict short-term rentals to a hosts primary residence. Investors may operate non-owner-occupied STRs citywide, and Texas HB 1620 reinforces this permissive stance by limiting municipal authority to impose primary-residence requirements on whole-home rentals.
Arlington may suspend or revoke a short-term rental permit when an operator accumulates three substantiated violations within a 12-month period, including noise, parking, occupancy, or unpaid hotel-occupancy-tax infractions, after notice and an administrative appeal opportunity.
Arlington places primary compliance and tax-collection responsibility on the host or operator, not on listing platforms like Airbnb or Vrbo. Platforms collect state hotel-occupancy tax under voluntary agreements, but the city does not impose direct platform fines for individual host violations.
Tex. Tax Code Sec. 156.001 (Hotel - Definition Encompassing Short-Term Rentals)
Sec. 156.001. DEFINITIONS. (a) In this chapter, "hotel" means a building in which members of the public obtain sleeping accommodations for consideration. The term includes a hotel, motel, tourist home, tourist house, tourist court, lodging house, inn, rooming house, or bed and breakfast. The term does not include:(1) a hospital, sanitarium, or nursing home;(2) a dormitory or other housing facil...
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Arlington city rules.
Short-Term Rentals in Tarrant County →