Dallas County does not require short-term rentals to be primary residences. Texas counties lack the detailed residential-use zoning authority cities have, and no Texas statute imposes a statewide primary-residence STR rule. City-level rules in Dallas, Irving, and Plano vary; some are paused by litigation.
Primary-residence-only rules limit STRs to homes the operator actually lives in, banning whole-home investor STRs. Dallas County government has no such ordinance for unincorporated areas, which represent a small footprint within this densely incorporated county. TX Local Government Code Chapter 232 limits county authority to plat approval and certain subdivision standards, not residential-use zoning. The City of Dallas adopted Chapter 42B in 2023 with zoning that effectively pushed whole-home STRs toward primary residences; that ordinance was partly enjoined by a Dallas County district court in 2024. Cities like Plano and Grapevine have their own STR rules. The Texas Legislature has considered preemption bills limiting city STR authority, but none has fully passed.
Not applicable at the county level. Investor-owned STRs in unincorporated areas face no county primary-residence requirement. City violations are enforced by each municipality's code compliance staff under municipal STR ordinances.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Irving, TX
Irving Ch. 22 restricts amplified sound that disturbs the peace. Loudspeakers and amplifiers are prohibited when they create unreasonable disturbance. Quiet ...
Irving, TX
Irving Ch. 22 makes unreasonably loud animal noise a per se violation. The owner, controller, or caretaker is responsible. Licensed animal facilities are exe...
Irving, TX
Irving restricts overnight parking of oversized vehicles and trailers in residential areas. Standard passenger vehicles may park overnight on streets where n...
Irving, TX
Retaining walls at or below grade are excluded from fence height measurements. Walls exceeding 4 feet require engineering. Building permits are required for ...
Irving, TX
Texas Property Code § 202.007 prohibits HOAs from banning beekeeping that complies with TX Apiary Inspection Act. Irving allows beekeeping subject to nuisanc...
Irving, TX
Irving does not impose breed-specific bans. Dogs deemed dangerous or vicious under Ch. 6 are regulated regardless of breed. Dangerous dog registration and en...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Dallas County.
See how Irving's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.