Permitted, with conditions
| Application fee one-time | $94.60 |
| STR permit / registration annual | $642.00 |
| Business licence | not verified |
| Inspection | not verified |
| First-year total | $736.60 |
| Permit renewal annual | $369.60 |
| Business licence | not verified |
| Recurring annual | $369.60 |
Combined lodging tax: 17.0% of revenue. Charged on what you earn, so it is not in the totals above.
2 figures are not yet verified against the city (Business licence, Inspection). They are left out of the total rather than counted as zero, so the real first-year cost is higher than shown.
Conditions attached
- Single-family: max 2 STR units per site per individual, and additional STRs elsewhere only if at least 1,000 feet apart. Mixed-use: greater of 1 unit or 25%. Multi-family: greater of 1 unit or 10%.
- Licence fees changed on 2026-10-01. A new STR operating licence costs $736.60 in total ($642.00 licence fee plus a $94.60 notification fee) and a renewal costs $369.60 ($275.00 renewal fee plus the same $94.60 notification fee); the notification fee is charged again at every renewal, because the city mails notice to every property within 100 feet each time a licence is issued or renewed. A licence is valid for a maximum of two years from the date of issuance (City Code Sec. 4-23-32(C)), although the city's fee schedule labels the licence and renewal rows '/year' and its page states $736.60 and $369.60 simply as what a licence and a renewal cost. Tenants may operate with landlord permission. Four licence types (1, 1A, 2, 3). A Certificate of Occupancy and proof of insurance are no longer required for new applicants or renewals. Platforms collect and remit Hotel Occupancy Tax on the owner's behalf. From July 1, 2026 the city asks platforms to remove unlicensed listings. Short-term rentals in Austin's Limited Purpose Jurisdiction need a licence but do not pay city Hotel Occupancy Tax; those in the Extra Territorial Jurisdiction need neither.
Source: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/short-term-rentals
Checked 2026-10-04 · Austin City Code Chapter 4-23 (Secs. 4-23-32, 4-23-33, 4-23-34, 4-23-41), Ordinance No. 20250911-012; February 2025 City Council amendments making STRs an accessory use in all residential zoning districts; fees in the City of Austin Fee Schedule, Code Compliance Fees, effective 10/01/2026