Short-term rental permit rules in New Braunfels, TX — also called Airbnb permits, vacation rental licenses, or STR registration — list the application steps, fees, and operating requirements for hosting.
New Braunfels prohibits short-term rentals in all residential zoning districts. STRs are allowed only in non-residential zones (with a Special Use Permit, except C-4/C-4A/C-4B), require a city permit, annual life-safety inspection, $500,000 liability insurance, and payment of the city's 7% hotel occupancy tax. Initial permit $206; annual renewal $128.
New Braunfels has one of the strictest short-term rental (STR) regimes in the region, codified at Sec. 144-5.17 of the Zoning Ordinance. An STR is a one- or two-family dwelling rented for overnight lodging for less than 30 days at a time. STRs are NOT allowed in any residential zoning district. They may operate only in non-residential zones, and a Special Use Permit (SUP) is required except in the C-4, C-4A, and C-4B districts. STRs are also prohibited in floodways (though permitted in floodplains). Operators must obtain a city permit before advertising on platforms like Airbnb or VRBO. The initial permit fee is $206 (which includes the annual fire inspection) and the annual renewal fee is $128; a life-safety inspection by the Fire Marshal's Office is required to renew. Operators must carry commercial general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence and provide documents such as a deed, floor plan, site plan, utility information, and tenant notification, plus post an emergency-contact decal at the entry. Occupancy is capped at two adults per sleeping area plus two additional adults, and at least one off-street parking space (not counting the garage) is required per sleeping area. Operators must collect and remit the city's 7% hotel occupancy tax monthly (plus the 6% state tax). The city's residential STR ban was upheld by a district court in January 2025 and is under appeal. Texas has no statewide law preempting local STR bans, so this city ordinance controls.
Operating a short-term rental in a residential district, or without a city permit, SUP (where required), passing life-safety inspection, required insurance, or hotel-tax remittance, violates Sec. 144-5.17 and is enforced by the city. Failure to file or pay hotel occupancy tax also carries escalating late penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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New Braunfels treats persistently barking or noisy animals as a public nuisance under Chapter 6, Animals. An animal that unreasonably annoys people or substa...
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New Braunfels does not publish a stand-alone clock-based construction-hours window in its noise rules. Construction noise is governed by the general decibel ...
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New Braunfels regulates sound under Sec. 82-9 of its Code of Ordinances. Within 100 feet of residential zoning, sound may reach 85 decibels from 10 a.m. to 1...
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New Braunfels bans parking, standing, or storing oversized vehicles - including RVs - on residential streets and on private property in residential districts...
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All fences and walls in New Braunfels require a building permit under Sec. 144-5.3-2, and must meet all permit and plan-review submittal requirements, includ...
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Under Sec. 144-5.3-2, fences and walls in New Braunfels may be up to 8 feet tall in residential, multifamily, non-residential, and park areas. In a required ...
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