San Antonio STR Regulations: Summary of Findings and Next Steps

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San Antonio STR Regulations: Summary of Findings and Next Steps

Edward Zachary Samperio
New to Real Estate · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2021 · 110 posts · 58 votes

Hey everyone,

I've been diving into San Antonio's STR regulations to get a clearer picture of how friendly the market is for short-term rentals. I wanted to share this information and keep it here for myself as well. After reviewing the latest ordinances, reports, and city guidelines, here's a summary of my findings as of 11/18/2024:

Key Findings

  1. Permit Types and Fees:
    • Type 1 (Owner-Occupied): $300 for 3 years.
    • Type 2 (Non-Owner-Occupied): $450 for 3 years.
    • Density caps apply to Type 2 permits (12.5% of block face).
  2. Enforcement:
    • 3 violations in 3 years lead to permit revocation.
    • Fines up to $500/day for violations.
  3. Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT):
    • City: 9%, County: 1.75%, State: 6%.
    • Platforms like Airbnb and VRBO will remit directly to the city starting Feb 2025.
  4. Platform Obligations:
    • STRs must have valid permits; unpermitted properties will be removed by platforms like Airbnb.
  5. Special Exceptions for Density Limits:
    • Require approval by the Board of Adjustment (BOA).

Zip Code Breakdown

I focused on these 11 zip codes:

  • Under San Antonio Rules:
    • 78205, 78204, 78215, 78210, 78212, 78245, 78258
  • Independent Municipalities (Separate Rules):
    • Alamo Heights (78209)
    • Leon Valley (78238)
    • Helotes (78023)

Next Steps:

  1. Research density caps and zoning in specific zip codes.
  2. Dive into independent municipality rules for Alamo Heights, Leon Valley, and Helotes.
  3. Evaluate market maturity and income potential using tools like AirDNA.

If anyone has experience operating STRs in San Antonio or these specific zip codes, I’d love to hear your insights, especially about density limits, enforcement trends, or community sentiment.

Thanks in advance!

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  • Christopher Anderson
    Rental Property Investor · San Diego · Member since 2021 · 12 posts · 3 votes
    2mo

    The enclave question is the one almost nobody answers well, so I operate in this metro and here's what actually differs. The trap: a "San Antonio" mailing address can legally sit inside a separate incorporated city, and that city's rules govern, not SA's.
    Leon Valley has its own STR registration. The city's published fee schedule still says $25/year, but the current ordinance is $200 for a TWO YEAR registration, with a $400 late fee. Read the ordinance, not the fee page.
    Alamo Heights has no codified STR ordinance and no city STR permit that I've been able to find, it's a very different posture from SA. (I'd still confirm directly before relying on "no rules," because "none codified yet" and "allowed forever" aren't the same thing.)
    Castle Hills overhauled its whole STR ordinance in Feb 2026, certificate caps (15 resident / 10 non-resident), 1,000-ft spacing between STRs, and a 2-strike non-renewal rule. Important: last I checked it wasn't in the online Municode yet, so if you only read the codified code you'd miss the entire new regime.
    On tax: for SA proper, the city's 9% HOT is platform-remitted (since Mar 2025) but the county's 1.75% is a separate monthly filing at hoteltaxonline.com. Whether that county tax reaches the enclave cities is something I'm actually chasing a written answer on right now as the county's collection agent told me by phone it's SA-only, but a city/Avenu fact sheet reads broader, so I wouldn't treat enclave county-tax as settled either way yet. If you're in an enclave, call the county before you assume.
    My advice is to figure out which enclave are you looking at, you can use a GIS map for this. Happy to share what I've got.

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