Bexar County cannot limit short-term rentals to a host's primary residence. Texas HB 1620 (2025) preempts any local rule that bans non-owner-occupied or investment-property STRs in unincorporated areas.
Some Texas cities tried to restrict short-term rentals to owner-occupied primary homes, but HB 1620 invalidated those rules statewide effective September 2025. Bexar County, which has only narrow regulatory authority over unincorporated land, never adopted such a restriction and is now barred from doing so. Investors can buy single-family or multifamily properties anywhere in unincorporated Bexar County and operate them as full-time short-term rentals. Standard hotel occupancy tax collection, building code compliance, and septic or wastewater rules still apply, but property use as an STR is not limited by ownership status.
None. The county has no authority to enforce a primary-residence-only rule, and any attempt would conflict with state preemption under HB 1620.
See how Universal City's primary-residence-only rule rules stack up against other locations.
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