Dallas, TX Short-Term Rentals: Short-Term Rental Permits (2026)

Chapter 42B, added by Ordinance 32473, requires every short-term rental host to hold a valid registration from the city's designated department before operating (Sec. 42B-4(a)) and before even advertising the property (Sec. 42B-4(b)). Applicants apply on a form to the director (Sec. 42B-6), providing owner and host contact information, the local responsible party's details, and the hotel occupancy tax registration number issued under Chapter 44. The annual registration fee is $248, nonrefundable and non-transferable; the initial inspection is bundled into that fee, but a required reinspection costs $144 (Sec.

42B-5). The director reviews applications for completeness within 10 business days (Sec. 42B-7) and, before approving, inspects the property for code violations, refusing to register a unit until those violations are cleared (Sec. 42B-8). Registration can be denied if the applicant lied on the application, the property fails inspection or the zoning and minimum property standards review, the property drew two or more citations in the prior 12 months, the owner or host owes the city taxes, fees, or fines, or a prior registration for the property was revoked in the past year (Sec.

42B-9). Owners and hosts must post both the certificate of occupancy and the certificate of registration in a common area of the property (Sec. 42B-4(c)). A registration lasts one year or ends immediately if the property changes hands (Sec. 42B-5(b)).