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Short-Term Rentals in San Antonio, TX (2026)

8 verified short-term rentals rules for San Antonio, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Permit Requirements

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.

San Antonio Short-Term Rental Registration

Heavy Restrictions

Tex. Tax Code Sec. 351.002 (Municipal Hotel Occupancy Tax Authorized by Ordinance)

Sec. 351.002. TAX AUTHORIZED. (a) A municipality by ordinance may impose a tax on a person who, under a lease, concession, permit, right of access, license, contract, or agreement, pays for the use or possession or for the right to the use or possession of a room that is in a hotel, costs $2 or more each day, and is ordinarily used for sleeping.(b) The price of a room in a hotel does not in...

Noise Rules

San Antonio STRs must comply with general noise ordinance. Many cities impose stricter quiet hours for rentals. Complaints can trigger permit review.

San Antonio STR Noise Rules

Some Restrictions

Tex. Penal Code § 42.01

(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;(3) creates, by chemical means, ...

Taxes & Fees

San Antonio short-term rental operators must collect and remit a combined 16.75% Hotel Occupancy Tax (9% city + 1.75% Bexar County + 6% state) and pay STR permit fees of $300 (Type 1) or $450 (Type 2) for a three-year permit term.

STR Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) and Permit Fees

Some Restrictions

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.

STR Parking Requirements (UDC Sec. 35-374.01 and 35-526)

Some Restrictions

Tex. Transportation Code § 545.302

(a) An operator may not stop, stand, or park a vehicle:(1) on the roadway side of a vehicle stopped or parked at the edge or curb of a street;(2) on a sidewalk;(3) in an intersection;(4) on a crosswalk;(5) between a safety zone and the adjacent curb or within 30 feet of a place on the curb immediately opposite the ends of a safety zone, unless the governing body of a municipality designates a d...

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.

San Antonio Short-Term Rental Occupancy Limits

Heavy Restrictions

Tex. Property Code § 92.010

(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 occupancy rate; or(2) if an adul...

Insurance Requirements

San Antonio's STR ordinance (UDC § 35-374.01) requires Type 1 and Type 2 STR permit holders to maintain liability insurance or participate in a host-protection program through their booking platform. The 2024 update (Ordinance 2024-06-13-0433) strengthened enforcement, including platform compliance requirements to remove unpermitted listings.

San Antonio Short-Term Rental Insurance Rules

Some Restrictions

Host Presence Rule

San Antonio short-term rental rules in SAMC Chapter 35 distinguish owner-occupied Type 1 STRs from non-owner-occupied Type 2 STRs. Type 2 rentals face density caps by census block and tighter zoning limits to favor host-present operations.

San Antonio STR Host Presence and Type Distinction

Heavy Restrictions

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

San Antonio does not require all short-term rentals to be primary residences, but its Type 1 vs Type 2 framework heavily favors primary-residence operations. Type 1 STRs run from owner-occupied homes face fewer caps and easier permitting than non-owner-occupied Type 2 rentals.

San Antonio STR Type 1 vs Type 2 Primary Residence

Some Restrictions

Looking for Bexar County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement San Antonio city rules.

Short-Term Rentals in Bexar County