Austin Short-Term Rental (STR) Regulations – Cheat Sheet

Types of STRs in Austin

Type 1 (Owner-Occupied)

• Must be owner-occupied or tied to owner’s primary residence.
• Can rent whole unit OR a partial unit (bedroom + shared bath) IF owner is present.
• Only 1 party at a time if partial unit is rented.
• Allowed in most residential areas.

Type 2 (Non-Owner Occupied Single-Family)

• Entire home rental, NOT owner-occupied.
• Cannot be in multifamily properties.
• Subject to 3% cap per census tract.
• Must have been licensed before Nov 23, 2015 (no new licenses after).
• Distance rule: not within 1,000 ft of another Type 2 unless grandfathered.

Type 3 (Multifamily: Apartments/Condos)

• Entire unit rental in multifamily buildings.

Density caps:

• Non-commercial zones: max 3% of units per property/building.
• Commercial zones: max 25% of units per property/building.

License Requirements (§25-2-791)

• Annual license required (non-transferable).
• Must show insurance, proof of hotel occupancy taxes (If renewing), local contact info, and no violations.
• Expires after 1 year, renewable if compliant.
• No new Type 2 licenses issued after Nov 2015.

Occupancy & Noise (§25-2-794–795)

• Max occupancy: 2 adults per bedroom + 2 extra, capped at 10 adults OR 6 unrelated adults.
• Outside assemblies > 6 adults not allowed (7am–10pm).
• No parties/events 10pm–7am.
• Noise limits:
• Day (10am–10pm): 75 dB max at property line.
• Night (10pm–10am): no sound beyond property line.

Notification & Neighbors (§25-2-792, §25-2-796)

• Renters must get an info packet (rules, trash, parking, noise, etc.).
• Local contact required (must respond to emergencies within 2 hours).
• Neighbors within 100 ft must be notified.

Enforcement & Penalties (§25-2-797–799)

• Repeat violations (2+ in 12 months) → license denied for 1 year.
• Non-compliance fees if caught operating unlicensed.
• Advertising without license = violation.
• City inspectors can issue citations based on visual inspection of too many guests.