Arlington, TX Short-Term Rentals: Occupancy Limits (2026)

Arlington's short-term rental occupancy framework combines a per-bedroom guest cap with a total occupancy ceiling based on building code egress and floor area. The operational rule most hosts work with is two adult guests per bedroom plus up to two additional occupants (so a 3-bedroom STR typically sleeps 6 to 8 overnight, and a 4-bedroom sleeps 8 to 10). Children under a defined age (often 2 or 3) are not counted. On top of that per-bedroom cap, the city references International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) room-size and means-of-egress standards as a hard ceiling, and for units where the bedroom cap would exceed those IPMC limits, the IPMC limit controls. Day-use occupancy (non-overnight guests visiting during the stay) is also capped, typically at 1.5x to 2x the overnight cap, and hosts are expressly required to prohibit parties, weddings, and event-style gatherings unless the guest has obtained a separate special event permit from the city. The ordinance is particularly strict on event hosting because the Entertainment District proximity generates high demand for party rentals, and complaints about amplified music, parking overflow, and crowd behavior have driven the city toward a zero-tolerance posture on non-permitted events. Violations generate Class C citations, can be logged against the host's registration, and accumulating violations lead to revocation of the STR registration for 12 months or longer under the ordinance.