Primary-Residence-Only Rule: Austin vs Dallas
How do primary-residence-only rule rules compare between Austin, TX and Dallas, TX?
Austin has fewer restrictions than Dallas.
Austin, TX
Travis County
Travis County does not restrict short-term rentals to a host's primary residence. Investor-owned and second-home STRs are permitted across unincorporated areas, consistent with Texas HB 1620 statewide preemption of ownership-status conditions.
View full Austin rules →Dallas, TX
Dallas County
Dallas Chapter 42B (2023) restricts short-term rentals to multifamily and mixed-use zoning districts and frames lawful single-family STRs as accessory to a primary residence. A 2024 Dallas County district-court injunction paused the residential-zone prohibition while the legal challenge proceeds.
View full Dallas rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Austin | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Primary-residence rule | None | - |
| Investor STRs allowed | Yes | - |
| LLC ownership OK | Yes | - |
| Preemption source | TX HB 1620 (2025) | - |
| Ordinance | - | Dallas Ch. 42B (June 2023) |
| Zoning rule | - | Multifamily and mixed-use only |
| Court order | - | May 2024 injunction halts ban |
| Status | - | City appeal pending |
| Registration | - | Still required citywide |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Austin FAQ
Can I buy a Lake Travis cabin solely to short-term rent?
Yes. Travis County imposes no primary-residence requirement, and state law preempts any such restriction on STRs.
Does an LLC-owned STR face extra rules?
No county-level extra rules apply. Standard Texas hotel-occupancy tax registration and any septic permits still apply for rural properties.
Dallas FAQ
Can I run a single-family-home STR in Dallas right now?
Yes, currently. A May 2024 district-court injunction blocks Dallas from enforcing the residential-zone STR ban while the appeal is pending. Registration, occupancy, and safety rules still apply.
Is Chapter 42B a strict primary-residence-only rule?
Not literally. It restricts STRs by zone rather than by primary residency, but functionally pushes whole-home use toward owner-occupied homes. Enforcement is paused by court order pending appeal.
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