Is Airbnb Legal in San Antonio? 2026 Rules, Permits & Taxes

Permit required

Yes

Taxes on a stay

16.75%

Fine for hosting without a permit

Up to $500

Listings showing a permit number

65%

Latest rule change

Oct 1, 2026

Listing figures: AirROI, 12 months to September 2026. A number on a listing doesn't prove the permit or license is valid, and a missing one doesn't prove there is none.

The rules in brief

Who needs it

Every host renting a home, apartment, condominium or accessory dwelling for under 30 consecutive days inside the San Antonio city limits, with one permit per unit. Properties outside the city limits need no city permit but still need a hotel tax account.^{3,9,10,11,12,18,20}

Issued by

City of San Antonio Development Services Department

Valid for

A permit lasts three years from the date of issue, covers one unit and cannot be transferred to another owner, operator, unit or location; renew before it expires, because a late renewal is treated as a new application.

Processing

Permits are issued within five business days once a complete application is received.

On listings

The number must appear on every listing

Platform checks

Platforms must require a permit number on every San Antonio listing, and the city can ask a platform to remove a listing that has no valid number; the platform then has ten business days to remove it.

Fees

Who qualifies

• Inside the San Antonio city limits; a separate permit for each unit with cooking, sleeping and bathing facilities
• Type 1: the owner, or a tenant with the owner's written permission, lives on the property, shown by a homestead exemption or voter or vehicle registration; no density limit
• Type 2: nobody lives on the property; limited to 12.5% of homes on a block face and to renting the entire unit
• Zoning allows it: residential districts are allowed, but not C-3, L, I-1 or I-2
• A named 24-hour operator who is an individual, and at least one off-street parking space or a parking adjustment from the Board of Adjustment
• A property that received a City Housing Incentive cannot hold a Type 2 permit while the incentive lasts

How to apply

1. 1 Confirm the property is inside the San Antonio city limits and that its zoning allows rentals; for a Type 2 rental, check that the block face is under the 12.5% limit.
2. 2 Create an account on the city's BuildSA permit portal, choose Land Development, then Short Term Rental (STR) Application, and pick Type 1 or Type 2.
3. 3 Enter the owner and a 24-hour designated operator (an individual); a tenant uploads the owner's written permission, and an applicant who is not the owner uploads a notarized owner authorization.
4. 4 Upload a floor plan showing sleeping areas, the maximum number of guests, fire extinguishers and evacuation routes, plus the location of the off-street parking space.
5. 5 Pay the non-refundable fee with the 8% surcharge. The city issues the permit within five business days of a complete application, and a hotel tax taxpayer number is issued when a new application is approved.
6. 6 Put the permit number in every listing and report hotel tax every month using the taxpayer number.

Permit rules

Permit required for every unit

No short-term rental may operate inside San Antonio without a current permit, and each unit with cooking, sleeping and bathing facilities needs its own permit.^3,11 In force since November 2018

Three-year permit, not transferable

Permits last three years and cannot be transferred to a new owner, operator, unit or location; the operator or 24-hour contact can be updated without a new application.^3,9

Permit number in every advertisement

Every advertisement, on a platform or the host's own website, must include the short-term rental permit number in its description.^3,20

Platforms remove listings without a valid permit number

Platforms must require a permit number on each San Antonio listing. When the city tells a platform that a listing has no number, or an invalid, expired or revoked one, the platform must remove it within ten business days.^3,15 In force since June 13, 2024

Airbnb remits the city tax; the county tax stays with the host

Since March 2025, platforms that remit the state hotel tax, including Airbnb and Vrbo, send the city's 9% directly to San Antonio. Hosts still file a monthly report and pay Bexar County's 1.75% themselves, and pay the city tax on bookings from other platforms.^15,16,17 In force since March 10, 2025

City limits only; elsewhere in Bexar County just hotel tax

The ordinance covers properties inside San Antonio. A rental outside the city limits but in Bexar County needs no city permit, but must still register a hotel tax account with the city's Finance Department.^12,20

Type 1: the owner or operator lives there

A Type 1 permit is for a home where the owner, or a tenant with the owner's permission, makes it their legal residence, shown by a homestead exemption, voter registration, vehicle registration or similar proof. Type 1 rentals have no density limit.^3,12 Applies to: Type 1 · In force since November 2018

Type 1 may rent a room if the owner is present

A Type 1 host can rent less than the whole home if the guest room shares a full bathroom and the owner is generally present at the property. A Type 2 rental must rent the entire unit.³ Applies to: Type 1 · In force since June 13, 2024

Type 2: whole unit only

A Type 2 permit covers a home where nobody lives; it may not be used to rent part of a dwelling unit, and Type 2 rentals may not operate in accessory dwelling units.^3,12 Applies to: Type 2 · In force since June 13, 2024

Accessory dwelling units only with an owner on site

An owner who lives in the main house can get a Type 1 permit for an accessory dwelling unit with no density limit; a non-owner-occupied accessory dwelling unit cannot be a short-term rental.¹² Applies to: Accessory dwelling units

No Type 2 permit for homes with a city housing incentive

A property that has received a City Housing Incentive cannot get a Type 2 permit while the owner is still eligible for that incentive.³ Applies to: Type 2 · In force since November 2018

Type 2 capped at 12.5% of a block face

Type 2 rentals in residential districts are limited to one-eighth (12.5%) of the single-family to fourplex homes on a block face, which is one side of a street between intersections. Fractions round down, but every block face may have at least one Type 2.^4,11,12 Applies to: Type 2 · In force since November 2018

Apartment buildings: one Type 2 up to 7 units, 12.5% from 8

In a building or group of buildings with 5 to 7 units only one Type 2 rental is allowed by right; with 8 or more units the limit is 12.5% of the units on the property.^4,12 Applies to: Type 2 · In force since November 2018

Over the limit: Board of Adjustment special exception

When the block-face limit is reached, a Type 2 applicant has 45 days to apply for a special exception from the Board of Adjustment, at $460 for a property with a homestead exemption or $690 for any other, plus an 8% surcharge. The city reports 87 cases heard since 2018, with 25% approved.^9,12,16 Applies to: Type 2

Not allowed in C-3, L, I-1 and I-2 districts

Short-term rentals are allowed in residential and most other districts, but not in the C-3, L, I-1 and I-2 zoning districts. The city's One Stop map shows a property's zoning.^9,20

Lease, HOA and deed restrictions still apply

The city permit gives no right to rent in violation of a lease, deed restriction or covenant, and the city does not enforce them. Texas law leaves homeowners' associations free to enforce their own rules, so check the recorded restrictions before applying.^1,3

Rentals under 30 nights are short-term rentals

A short-term rental is the rental of all or part of a home, apartment, condominium or accessory dwelling for under 30 consecutive days and at least 12 hours; there is no separate minimum number of nights.⁴ In force since November 2018

Monthly hotel tax report, even at zero

The owner or operator files a hotel tax report every month, even when the unit was not rented or a platform collected the tax. Failing to report brings penalty and interest and can lead to permit revocation.^3,14 In force since September 12, 2024

Maximum guests set on the permit

The permit lists a maximum number of guests, defined by the San Antonio Property Maintenance Code. Airbnb's city summary describes the limit as two adults per sleeping area, and a bedroom without a compliant exit cannot count as a sleeping area.^3,20 In force since June 13, 2024

Fire extinguisher, detectors, escape openings, evacuation plan

Each rental needs a 5-pound 2A:10B:C extinguisher mounted within 75 feet of every part of the unit on each floor, working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, an emergency escape opening in every sleeping area and a posted evacuation plan. Owners also obtain annual independent inspections of the extinguishers.³ In force since June 13, 2024

Liability insurance required

Hosts must carry an insurance policy sufficient for personal injury liability of guests; the ordinance sets no minimum amount.^3,20

At least one off-street parking space

Each rental needs at least one off-street parking space that is not in the public right-of-way or on a yard. A property without one can ask the Board of Adjustment for a parking adjustment.³

Quiet hours and a 63-decibel limit

Quiet hours run 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noise may not exceed 63 decibels on residential property measured from the neighbor's land. Rentals with a pool, hot tub or patio post the quiet hours outdoors.³ In force since June 13, 2024

No weddings or events; no food service

A short-term rental in a residential district may not be used as a venue for weddings, events, restaurants or meeting halls, and the operator may not sell prepared food or drink to guests. Guests may not sleep outdoors, and outdoor sleeping spaces cannot be rented.^3,4,20 In force since November 2018

24-hour contact who responds within one hour

Every permit names a 24-hour contact who can respond to complaints. After a citation the operator or agent must try to reach the guests within one hour, and a second citation requires steps to prevent repeats.³

Median nightly rate, booked nights

$170

Taxes on that night (16.75%)

$28

Guest pays, before Airbnb and cleaning fees

$198

What the host still handles

• A City of San Antonio hotel tax account: the taxpayer number is issued when the short-term rental permit application is approved (or set up with the Finance Department first for a property outside the city limits). Report every month, even at $0, and pay the 1.75% Bexar County tax and the city tax on bookings outside Airbnb and Vrbo
• The Texas Comptroller, by sending Form AP-102 (Hotel Occupancy Tax Questionnaire) to the local field office, only for bookings taken outside a platform that collects the state tax (own website or non-collecting platforms); returns are due by the 20th of the month after each month, or quarter if qualified
• The city short-term rental permit from Development Services, which is separate from the tax account^{5,14,16,18,19}

• Operating in violation of the ordinance: a citation of up to $500 for each day the property stays in violation after a 14-day notice. The ordinance sets fines of $200 to $500 per occurrence, treats each day as a separate offense, and makes a violation a Class C misdemeanor.^3,13
• Revocation: a permit is revoked after three or more confirmed citations over three occasions within a rolling three-year period, and the owner cannot reapply for the same property for 12 months.^3,15
• Criminal fine: a violation is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by $100 to $500, with each day a separate violation.³
• Listing removal: if a violation is not fixed after the 14-day notice, the city asks the platform to take the listing down, and the platform must act within ten business days.^3,13
• Unpaid hotel tax: a 5% penalty, a further 5% a month later, and interest at 10% a year; the permit is revoked if the arrears are not paid within 90 days of a delinquency notice.^3,14
• False documents: an application with false documentation is denied and the owner cannot apply again for that property for one year.³
• State hotel tax filed late on direct bookings: $50 for each late report, plus a percentage of the tax.⁵

1. October 1, 2026
   Permit fees rise to $450 and $1,000

   From October 1, 2026 a three-year permit costs $450 for Type 1 and $1,000 for Type 2, plus an 8% surcharge on every application.^9,10,11

2. September 17, 2026
   Council approves higher permit fees

   On September 17, 2026 the City Council approved the cost of the short-term rental permit for the 2027 fiscal year.¹⁰

3. March 10, 2025
   Airbnb and Vrbo start remitting the city hotel tax

   Platforms that remit the state hotel tax began paying San Antonio's city hotel tax directly in March 2025; hosts continue to file monthly reports and pay the Bexar County tax.^15,16,17

4. June 14, 2024
   Permit fees rise to $300 and $450

   From June 14, 2024 a new or renewed three-year permit cost $300 for Type 1 and $450 for Type 2.^3,15

5. June 13, 2024
   Council amends the ordinance

   Ordinance June 13, 2024-0433 added platform duties to remove listings without a permit number, revocation after three citations in three years, compliance meetings for problem properties and a one-year bar for false applications.^3,15

6. July 1, 2023
   Hotel tax number issued with each new permit

   From July 1, 2023 a hotel tax taxpayer number is issued when a new short-term rental application is approved.¹⁰

7. November 1, 2018
   City Council adopts the short-term rental ordinance

   San Antonio's City Council approved the short-term rental ordinance on November 1, 2018, creating the Type 1 and Type 2 permits and the 12.5% block-face limit.^4,11

Estimate what a San Antonio home could earn

1. 1. H.B. 2464, 89th Legislature (enrolled): authority of a municipality to regulate a home-based business · Texas Legislature
2. 2. Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 54, Section 54.001 · Texas Legislature
3. 3. Ordinance 2024-06-13-0433, City Code Chapter 16, Article XXII, Short Term Rentals · City of San Antonio
4. 4. Ordinance 2018-11-01-0858 (as passed): Short Term Rentals and Unified Development Code Sec. 35-374.01 · City of San Antonio
5. 5. Hotel Occupancy Tax · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
6. 6. Hotel Occupancy Tax FAQs · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
7. 7. Local Hotel Occupancy Tax Overview · Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
8. 8. FAQ: How is my property zoned in the County? · Bexar County
9. 9. STR Permits · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
10. 10. Registering a Short-Term Rental Permit · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
11. 11. Short Term Rentals: Application, Permits and Enforcement fact sheet (September 2026) · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
12. 12. Current Short-Term Rental Ordinance · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
13. 13. Report an STR Violation · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
14. 14. Hotel Occupancy Tax: Short Term Rentals fact sheet · City of San Antonio Finance Department
15. 15. Short Term Rentals: Updates to Current Ordinance fact sheet · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
16. 16. Short Term Rentals Annual Report FY 2025 · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
17. 17. Short-Term Rental Updates: Changes for San Antonio (March 6, 2025 webinar) · City of San Antonio Development Services Department and Avenu Insights & Analytics
18. 18. Short Term Rentals (STR) · City of San Antonio Development Services Department
19. 19. Occupancy tax collection and remittance by Airbnb in Texas · Airbnb Help Center
20. 20. San Antonio, TX (short-term rental rules) · Airbnb Help Center