San Antonio, TX Short-Term Rentals: Host Presence Rule (2026)

San Antonio's Type 1 short-term rental tier requires more than owner or operator occupancy on paper: Sec. 16-1107(a)(2) separately requires that "the owner is generally present at the licensed short term rental property" while it is being used as an STR. This presence condition sits alongside two other Type 1 conditions in the same subsection: the rented sleeping area must include at least shared use of a full bathroom under Sec. 16-1107(a)(1), and the unit may not operate without a valid permit under Sec. 16-1103, referenced directly in Sec.

16-1107(a)(3). The presence rule is what allows a Type 1 host to legally rent out less than the entire dwelling, since the city treats the arrangement as closer to a bed-and-breakfast stay in an occupied home than a standalone rental. A Type 2 STR carries no presence requirement, but in exchange it must rent the entire dwelling unit and pay a higher $450 application fee versus $300 for Type 1, under Sec. 16-1104(a). The general standards in Sec. 16-1108(h) reinforce the presence concept operationally: every STR, Type 1 or Type 2, must give the city a 24-hour contact number for the operator or a designated agent, and if a city official responds to a complaint and issues a citation, that contact must attempt to reach the occupants within one hour of the call.