Permit Requirements

Short-Term Rental permit in Austin, TX

We couldn't confirm this from Austin's code.

Rather than guess, here is the exact section to read and who to call. A rule appears on this site only when the ordinance states it plainly.

Read § 25-2-904 (Short-Term Rental Use); Chapter 4-23

Contact the Austin building department

Nearby cities, same job

Rules stop at the city line. If your lot is near a boundary, or you work across several towns, this is where they differ.

CityDistance Permit?Where the line falls
Austin Yes Austin licenses short-term rentals. The code treats renti…
New Braunfels 47 mi Yes You need a short term rental permit in every zoning distr…
Killeen 54 mi Yes You need a short-term rental permit to operate a vacation…
San Antonio 74 mi Yes No short-term rental may operate in San Antonio without a…
College Station 89 mi Yes Anyone operating a short-term rental must apply for and h…
Waco 93 mi Yes You need a city license before you operate a short-term o…

See every Texas city on short-term rental work

Other work in Austin

Questions people ask

I already built it without a permit. What now?

Austin can issue a stop-work order and require you to apply after the fact, sometimes with an extra fee. Work that was covered up may have to be opened for inspection. Full walkthrough here.

Does unpermitted work cause problems when selling the house?

Often, yes. A buyer's inspector or the title company may flag it, and lenders can balk at financing a home with open or missing permits. What to do about it.