Before you start: two eligibility checks
1. Jurisdiction. Licenses are required in Austin's full-purpose and limited-purpose jurisdictions. If your property is in the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), you don't need a license (or city hotel tax). Check your address on the city's jurisdiction map.
2. Density rules. Since October 2025: on single-family sites an individual may operate up to two STRs per site, and any additional STRs must be at least 1,000 feet apart. Multifamily sites: the greater of one unit or 10% of your units. Mixed-use sites (4+ residential units plus commercial): the greater of one unit or 25%. Tenants can apply too — with the landlord's permission.
3. Open or expired building permits. The city won't issue an STR license while the property has open or expired building permits on file — and plenty of Austin homes are carrying an expired permit the owner forgot about (that water heater swap in 2019). Search your address in the city's Austin Build + Connect public portal before you apply; anything open or expired needs to be closed out first, or your application stalls for weeks while you find out the hard way.
Two things you no longer need (dropped October 2025): a Certificate of Occupancy and proof of insurance.
Step 1 — Gather your documents
- Copy of the front of the owner's driver's license or government-issued ID
- Proof of tenancy, if you're a tenant applying with landlord permission
- If the applicant isn't the property owner: a completed, notarized Agent Authorization Form signed by the owner, naming everyone authorized to act on STR licensing matters
- Your local contact's name and details — someone in Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, or Caldwell County who can respond within 2 hours, day or night
Partial applications are not processed, and fees are non-refundable — have everything ready before you submit.
Step 2 — Apply and pay through Austin Finance Online
Create an Austin Finance Online (AFO) account (you need one anyway — it's also where quarterly hotel-tax reports are filed). Complete the STR application for your property type, upload your documents, and pay the $836.30 by credit card or e-check. The city has said a new, easier licensing tool is rolling out — until it fully replaces AFO, this is the path.
Step 3 — Email your ID
Email a copy of the front of the owner's driver's license or ID to STRdocs@austintexas.gov. If the STR's address is different from the address on the ID, say so in the email — and put the STR property address in every email you send the city.
Step 4 — Wait out processing (and respond fast)
Current city processing times: 6–8 weeks for single-family homes, 8–10 weeks for multifamily. Two things to know while you wait:
- You're protected while pending. City staff have committed to pausing enforcement for operating without a license while an application is under review — filing is what takes you off the delisting target list.
- Missing-document emails have deadlines. If the city emails asking for documentation and you miss the deadline, your application can be canceled without a refund. Answer same-day.
If you're denied, the mailed notice includes your appeal rights — appeals go to the Development Services director within 10 days.
Step 5 — After approval: the four ongoing obligations
- License number on every listing. Since July 1, 2026, platforms require it before an ad publishes — and delist unlicensed properties when the city asks.
- Neighbor notification. The city notifies every property within 100 feet of your STR at issuance and at every renewal (that's the $47.30).
- Guest information packet posted in the unit — required by Ch. 4-23-41(E): local contact info, noise rules (75 dB max at the property line 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; nothing audible beyond it overnight), parking, trash schedule, burn bans, and ADA info.
- Quarterly hotel-tax reports. Platforms collect and remit Austin's HOT on your behalf, but you still file a quarterly report through AFO — including a zero report for quarters with no rentals. Direct bookings: you collect and remit yourself.
Renewals: don't let it lapse
Licenses are valid for two years. Renew at least 30 days before expiration — a lapsed license means requalifying under the current (stricter) eligibility rules, and existing licenses that stay valid are grandfathered against them. Guard the license like the asset it is.
Sources
- City of Austin — Short-Term Rentals (How to Apply, fees, processing times, responsibilities)
- City of Austin — Apply for a short-term rental license
- City Code Ch. 4-23 ordinance (Council item 25-1824, adopted Sept 11, 2025)
City licensing help line: 512-974-9144 · Hotel tax questions: hotels@austintexas.gov · Local-contact changes: STRLicensing@austintexas.gov
This page summarizes the City of Austin's published application process as of July 2026 for education only — it is not legal or tax advice, and processes change. Verify current requirements with Austin Development Services. For the full rulebook — density limits, enforcement, taxes — see our Austin STR Rules guide.