# Austin — Short-term rental registration rules, city by city, from each city's own page

For Austin, registration / licence required? is All STR owners/operators in the City of Austin must be licensed annually through the City; ordinance / administering office is Austin Development Services Code Compliance, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.

- **City:** Austin _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Registration / licence required?:** All STR owners/operators in the City of Austin must be licensed annually through the City. _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Ordinance / administering office:** Austin Development Services Code Compliance _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Fee and licence term:** An operating license for a new STR is $836.30. This includes the $789 license fee and $47.30 notification fee. _(per austintexas.gov, not stated by the source above)_
- **Residence and unit limits:** Single-family sites : An individual may operate up to two STR units on a site and may operate additional STRs elsewhere, provided they are at least 1,000 feet apart. Mixed-use sites: An individual may operate the greater of one unit or 25% of their units on sites with four or more residential units and at least one commercial use. Multi-family residential sites : An individual may operate the greater of one unit or 10% of their units. _(per austintexas.gov, not stated by the source above)_
- **Dated rule change:** In February 2025, the Austin City Council adopted changes that made STRs an additional (accessory) use to all residential uses in all zoning districts as long as they have a valid operating license. _(per austintexas.gov, not stated by the source above)_

## What the source says

> All STR owners/operators in the City of Austin must be licensed annually through the City. Visit the How to Apply section to learn more.

## What austintexas.gov says

> An operating license for a new STR is $836.30. This includes the $789 license fee and $47.30 notification fee. Fees are non-refundable.

Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals

## What austintexas.gov says

> STR licenses are valid for two years from the date of issuance. STR operating license renewals may be submitted 60 days before an active license expires.

Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals

## What austintexas.gov says

> Single-family sites : An individual may operate up to two STR units on a site and may operate additional STRs elsewhere, provided they are at least 1,000 feet apart. Mixed-use sites: An individual may operate the greater of one unit or 25% of their units on sites with four or more residential units and at least one commercial use. Multi-family residential sites : An individual may operate the greater of one unit or 10% of their units.

Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals

## What austintexas.gov says

> In February 2025, the Austin City Council adopted changes that made STRs an additional (accessory) use to all residential uses in all zoning districts as long as they have a valid operating license.

Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals

## What austintexas.gov says

> Ensure Your License is Active by July 1 - following significant changes to STR regulations last year, on July 1, 2026 the City of Austin will begin requesting removal of unlicensed properties from STR platforms. If you don't have an active license, please submit an application as soon as possible.

Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals

## What austintexas.gov says

> New Platform Regulations Regulations for online platforms that host STRs went into effect July 1, 2026. Platforms are required to: Have a license display field Remove unlicensed listings upon request by the city

Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals

## Source

- https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-02-14.
Part of [Short-term rental registration rules, city by city, from each city's own page](https://referencesource.org/str-registration-rules-major-cities/).