Austin’s short-term-rental rules address the operation of a short-term rental, not whether a particular accessory dwelling unit was legally built. Ordinance 20250227-039, effective October 1, 2025, removed the former annual 30-day short-term-rental cap for certain secondary apartments and established short-term rentals as an accessory use to residential use in all zoning districts, subject to the City’s licensing chapter. A short-term-rental licence therefore sits alongside the property’s zoning and building status; it does not replace them.
Read the current ordinance alongside the City’s ADU page
The current ADU guidance page still says that an ADU built after October 1, 2015 may be used as a short-term rental for no more than 30 days per calendar year. That conflicts with the later ordinance, which deleted that ADU-specific annual cap. The ordinance is the enacted source for the current rule; do not rely on the older page’s 30-day statement without asking the City to resolve the page discrepancy.
The short-term-rental page says licences are valid for two years and that new applicants and renewing operators no longer need to submit a certificate of occupancy or proof of insurance. The current ADU page still tells ADU operators to submit a certificate of occupancy. Chapter 4-23’s minimum application list does not name a certificate of occupancy, but allows the Director to request additional information. Because City pages conflict on ADUs, review the current application form and confirm the documentation required for the specific unit with Austin’s STR Licensing staff. Do not assume either that every ADU applicant must submit a certificate or that the City can never request one.
These application-document changes do not establish that an ADU has required construction, inspection, or occupancy approvals. A short-term-rental licence does not replace those approvals or remove other licence, tax, nuisance, safety, or private requirements.
The City’s April 30, 2026 program memorandum adds current implementation details: it reports that licences changed from one-year to two-year terms, lists FY2026 fees of $789 for a new licence and $338 for a renewal, and schedules platform obligations to take effect July 1, 2026. Treat those amounts as the memo’s dated figures and confirm the current fee and implementation status before applying. The memo does not resolve the ADU certificate-of-occupancy conflict described above.
Austin distinguishes Full Purpose and Limited Purpose jurisdiction. Confirm that the address lies within the part of Austin whose rules apply, identify the responsible authority, and check the current application and renewal conditions. Each operator needs a licence for each short-term rental; the current chapter allows a licence term of up to two years. Do not treat a property within the wider Austin mailing area as automatically subject to City licensing.
Keep the property and the use checks separate
Before operating, confirm the ADU’s land-use classification, permit and inspection history, and the current STR licence status. Then review any applicable local tax obligations, deed restrictions, HOA or condominium rules, lender terms, and insurance conditions. The ordinances describe the citywide framework; they do not determine whether a specific ADU or operator qualifies, or how the City’s conflicting web guidance will be applied to a particular application. Check the current ordinance, application form, and licence record before relying on it.