Travis County, TX Short-Term Rentals: Night Caps (2026)
Key Facts
- County cap
- None
- Austin Type 1
- No night cap
- Austin Type 2
- No night cap, density-capped
- Zaatari ruling
- 2022 TX Supreme Court
- Density
- 3% per census tract
Summary
Travis County does not cap STR rental nights. Austin Type 2 STRs are currently limited to non-owner-occupied rental with no annual night cap; owner-occupied Type 1 has no limit.
Sec. 156.051. TAX IMPOSED. (a) A tax is imposed 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 or space in a hotel costing $15 or more each day.(b) The price of a room in a hotel does not include the cost of food served by the hotel and the cost of personal services performed by the hotel for the person except for those services related to cleaning and readying the room for use or possession. Sec. 156.052. RATE OF TAX. The rate of the tax imposed by this chapter is six percent of the price paid for a room in a hotel.
Full Breakdown
No night-cap ordinance exists at the county level because Travis County does not license STRs. Austin City Code 25-2-791 through 25-2-795 regulates STR density (Type 2 caps at 3% per census tract) rather than nights rented. A 2022 Texas Supreme Court ruling (Zaatari v. Austin) struck down Austin's ban on non-owner-occupied STRs in residential zones. Operators may rent year-round subject to license conditions.
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Travis County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Travis County to another location·View the Texas short-term rentals overview
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