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Travis County, TX Short-Term Rentals: Primary-Residence-Only Rule (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified May 2026

Key Facts

Primary-residence rule
None
Investor STRs allowed
Yes
LLC ownership OK
Yes
Preemption source
TX HB 1620 (2025)

Summary

Travis County does not restrict short-term rentals to a host's primary residence. Investor-owned and second-home STRs are permitted across unincorporated areas, consistent with Texas HB 1620 statewide preemption of ownership-status conditions.

City-specific rules exist: Austin has its own primary-residence-only rule rules that differ from Travis County's county-level regulations. If you live in Austin, check the city-specific page instead.

Hotel Occupancy Tax Who is responsible for this tax? Hotel owners, operators or managers must collect state hotel occupancy tax from their guests who rent a room or space in a hotel costing $15 or more each day. The tax applies not only to hotels and motels, but also to bed and breakfasts, condominiums, apartments and houses. Local hotel taxes apply to sleeping rooms costing $2 or more each day. With the numerous sporting and entertainment events around the state, many homeowners rent their homes or rooms in their house to people attending these events. Persons leasing their houses must collect hotel occupancy tax from their customers in the same way a hotel or motel collects the tax from its guests. Property management companies, online travel companies and other third-party rental companies may also be responsible for collecting the tax. Rates The state hotel occupancy tax rate is 6 percent (.06) of the cost of a room. Cities and certain counties and special purpose districts are authorized to impose an additional local hotel tax that the local taxing authority collects.

Source: Texas Comptroller Hotel TaxView official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

Texas HB 1620 (2025) prevents Texas local governments from limiting STRs to primary residences or imposing ownership-tenure tests. Travis County never adopted such a rule for unincorporated areas. Investor-owned vacation rentals near Lake Travis, the Hill Country wineries, and Austin's edge are widely operated. Whole-home rentals, second homes, and LLC-owned properties qualify equally. Operators must still register with the Texas Comptroller for hotel occupancy tax under Tax Code Chapter 156 and comply with applicable building, septic, and access standards in unincorporated zones.

Violations & Fines

No primary-residence violations apply. Enforcement focuses on Texas hotel-tax compliance and septic-permit issues for high-occupancy rural STRs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I buy a Lake Travis cabin solely to short-term rent?
Yes. Travis County imposes no primary-residence requirement, and state law preempts any such restriction on STRs.
Does an LLC-owned STR face extra rules?
No county-level extra rules apply. Standard Texas hotel-occupancy tax registration and any septic permits still apply for rural properties.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Travis County

All Travis County rules

Texas rules heatmap·Compare Travis County to another location·View the Texas short-term rentals overview

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Primary-Residence-Only Rule in Cities Across Travis County