Short-Term Rentals in Waco, TX (2026)

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

Verified from official government sources

Short-Term Rental Permits

Waco requires short-term rental operators to register with the city and obtain necessary permits before operating. STRs must comply with building, fire, and zoning codes.

Waco Short-Term Rental Permit Requirements

Some Restrictions

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

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...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Noise Rules

Short-term rental guests in Waco must comply with the city's noise ordinance. Operators are responsible for ensuring guests do not disturb neighbors, particularly during nighttime hours.

Waco Short-Term Rental Noise Rules

Light Restrictions

Tex. Penal Code Sec. 42.01(a)(5), (c)(2) (Disorderly Conduct - Unreasonable Noise)

Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: ... (5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range, as defined by Section 250.001, Local Government Code, or in or near a private residence that he has no right to occupy ... (c) For purposes of this section: ... (2) a noise is presumed to be unreasonable if the no...

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Taxes & Fees

Waco requires short-term rental operators to collect and remit hotel occupancy tax (HOT) on all stays under 30 days. The combined state and local rate applies to all STR bookings.

Waco Short-Term Rental Taxes & Fees

Light Restrictions

Tex. Tax Code Sec. 156.001 (Hotel Occupancy Tax - Definitions; includes bed and breakfast and tourist home)

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 housin...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Waco requires short-term rental properties to provide adequate off-street parking for guests. Overflow parking on residential streets must comply with the city's street parking ordinances.

Waco Short-Term Rental Parking Rules

Light Restrictions

Tex. Transportation Code Sec. 545.302 (Stopping, Standing, or Parking Prohibited in Certain Places)

Sec. 545.302. STOPPING, STANDING, OR PARKING PROHIBITED IN CERTAIN PLACES. (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 th...

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Occupancy Limits

Waco caps overnight occupancy in every licensed bed and breakfast and short-term rental at two adults per bedroom plus two additional adults per unit, under Code of Ordinances Sec. 13-471(e). In the R-E, R-1A, R-1B and R-1C single-family districts, a homestay, Type I or Type II rental also cannot house more than four unrelated individuals at once. The city posts these limits on a required in-unit sign and in every listing.

Waco Short-Term Rental Occupancy Limit: Two Per Bedroom

Some Restrictions

Waco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 13-471(e)

(e)Occupancy.(1)The maximum number of adults allowed to reside in any bed and breakfast facility or short-term rental facility is two adults per bedroom plus two additional adults per rental unit.(2)In R-E, R-1A, R-1B, and R-1C zoning districts, a bed and breakfast homestay establishment, a short-term rental type I or a short-term rental type II may not be occupied by more than four individuals...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Host Presence Rule

Every licensed bed and breakfast or short-term rental in Waco must have a "designated operator" who lives in McLennan County and stays available at all times the property is rented, even for type II and III listings where the owner does not have to live on-site. The city gives that operator's contact information to neighbors within 200 feet and requires a posted sign inside the unit with the license number and occupancy limit.

Waco STR Designated Operator Presence Rule

Some Restrictions

Waco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 13-470(e)-(f)

The designated operator shall be present in McLennan County and available at all times the property is being rented. Contact information will be furnished to owners of real property within 200 feet of the bed and breakfast facility or short-term rental facility by the planning services department. Also, a sign must be posted conspicuously in the common area of each unit. This sign will be provi...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Primary-Residence-Only Rule

Waco does not require every short-term rental to be an owner's primary residence. The licensing code creates three rental types, and only "short-term rental type I" and "bed and breakfast homestay" licenses require the owner or a designated operator to live in the primary structure and be present for the whole rental; type II and type III properties can be non-owner-occupied investment units.

Waco Owner-Occupied Short-Term Rental Rule

Light Restrictions

Waco, Tex., Code of Ordinances § 13-465 (Short-term rental type I, type II, bed and breakfast homestay definitions)

Short-term rental type I shall mean an owner or a designated operator occupied residential property where short-term lodging is provided to only one group at a time per dwelling unit. Non-conforming single family residential properties that contain more than one dwelling unit shall rent to only one group at a time. The owner or a designated operator must reside in the primary structure on the p...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗