Arlington, TX Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)

Unlike many coastal tourism cities that cap short-term rental nights per year (San Francisco's 90 nights, Paris's 120 nights), Arlington does not currently impose a uniform annual night cap on registered short-term rentals. Instead, Arlington controls STR intensity through a zoning-based approach: the STR ordinance specifies which zoning districts allow non-owner-occupied STRs, which allow only owner-occupied STRs, and which prohibit STRs outright. Homes within the Entertainment District and certain mixed-use and commercial zones generally have the widest permissions, while strictly residential single-family districts (particularly those near AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Six Flags, and UT Arlington) often restrict or prohibit non-owner-occupied operations because of event-day neighborhood impact.

In districts where STRs are permitted, a registered host can rent the unit year-round subject only to compliance with tax remittance, occupancy caps, parking rules, and the event-hosting prohibition. The practical cap, then, is not on nights but on location and operator presence. HOAs layered on top can add their own night limits or outright STR bans under Texas property law (HOAs may restrict STRs in many circumstances). Hosts should verify (1) the base zoning district for the property, (2) any SUP conditions on the parcel, (3) HOA covenants and current board interpretations, and (4) any rental-cap provisions in the STR ordinance that apply specifically to non-hosted rentals before marketing on Airbnb or Vrbo. The city reviews the ordinance periodically and may adopt explicit night caps in the future.