Short-Term Rental Regulations · Dallas, TX
Is Dallas short-term-rental friendly?
Dallas adopted short-term rental zoning limits and a registration requirement in June 2023, but a court issued a temporary injunction on December 6, 2023 that blocks enforcement of both ordinances, so the city is not processing STR registrations today. What still applies regardless is money and conduct: owners must collect 15% total hotel occupancy tax (9% city plus 6% state), and citywide minimum property standards, noise, and nuisance rules remain enforceable. The adopted rules would confine STRs to office, multifamily, central area, mixed use, commercial, and urban corridor districts while excluding single-family neighborhoods, so owners should watch the pending litigation before relying on today's paused enforcement.
Last updated: . Every fact links to its official source.
Town-by-town rules
| Town | Permit required? | Annual cost | Primary-residence / night-cap limits | Lodging tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Ordinances effective June 17, 2023 require every short-term rental (all or part of a unit rented for fewer than 30 consecutive days) to register annually under Dallas City Code Chapter 42B and to comply with the short-term rental lodging zoning rules added to Chapters 51 and 51A; the posted ordinance makes operating or listing without a registration an offense, and the city FAQ states all STRs must comply with both the zoning and registration ordinances to operate legally. However, the city's official STR page states that on December 6, 2023 a temporary injunction was filed prohibiting enforcement of the two STR ordinances, and a November 2024 city briefing confirms the injunction halted registration requirements, zoning restrictions, and penalties, so the city is not currently processing registrations. The city continues to enforce its minimum property standards, noise, and private nuisance ordinances. (City of Dallas Code Compliance, Short-Term Rentals page (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Planning and Development, Short-Term Rentals page (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Code Compliance, Short-Term Rental Information page (opens in a new tab), Chapter 42B Short-Term Rentals ordinance text, City of Dallas legislative portal (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas City Manager memo, Short-Term Rental Resource Page and FAQ (July 7, 2023) (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Code Compliance briefing, Short-Term Rentals Update (November 7, 2024) (opens in a new tab)) | Chapter 42B requires a per-property annual registration fee, and the ordinance text posted on the city's legislative portal states a $214.00 annual registration fee that is nonrefundable, includes the initial inspection, and buys a registration that expires one year after issuance or when ownership changes, with a $124.00 reinspection fee if reinspection is required. The city's September 2023 omnibus fee ordinance also amended Section 42B-5 of Chapter 42B, and the current codified fee amount could not be confirmed in the official materials reviewed, so treat any posted dollar figure as unverified until registration resumes. While the injunction is in effect the city is not processing STR registrations or collecting this fee. Hotel occupancy tax registration with the Controller's Office is free. (Chapter 42B Short-Term Rentals ordinance text (registration and fees), City of Dallas legislative portal (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas fee ordinance amending Section 42B-5 of Chapter 42B (September 2023 council materials) (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Financial Transparency, Short-Term Rentals (tax registration is free) (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Code Compliance briefing, Short-Term Rentals Update (November 7, 2024) (opens in a new tab)) | The 2023 rules restrict short-term rentals by zoning district rather than by owner occupancy, with no separate owner-occupied carve-out stated in the city's official FAQ: STR lodging is allowed by right only in mid-range office MO(A), general office GO(A), multifamily, central area, mixed use, multiple commercial, and urban corridor districts, and single-family and other residential districts are not on the list, so owner-occupied and non-owner-occupied STRs alike are excluded there under the enjoined ordinance. No annual cap on the number of rental nights was located in the reviewed official materials; instead the ordinance materials state a minimum two-night stay, an occupancy limit of three persons per bedroom with a 12-guest maximum, multitenant building caps (up to 3% of units in multifamily-zoned buildings, 20% in nonresidential districts, and none in buildings with 20 or fewer units), amplified sound limits between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and a 24/7 local responsible party. All of these operating rules are currently unenforceable under the December 2023 injunction. (City of Dallas City Manager memo, Short-Term Rental Resource Page and FAQ (July 7, 2023) (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Code Compliance, Short-Term Rental Information page (opens in a new tab), Chapter 42B Short-Term Rentals ordinance text, City of Dallas legislative portal (opens in a new tab)) | Every person owning, operating, managing, or controlling a short-term rental in Dallas must collect city hotel occupancy tax of 9% of net room receipts from guests and report and pay it to the city monthly by the 15th day of the following month; guests with the right to occupy for 30 or more consecutive days are exempt, and a 1% discount applies to on-time filings while late payments accrue 10% annual interest and a 15% penalty after three months. The state hotel occupancy tax is an additional 6% of the cost of the room, collected the same way and due to the Texas Comptroller by the 20th of the following month (quarterly if qualified), for a combined 15%. The city states it has no collection agreement with platforms such as Airbnb or Vrbo, so registration (free) and payment are the owner's responsibility. (City of Dallas Controller's Office, Hotel Occupancy Tax for Short-Term Rentals (opens in a new tab), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Hotel Occupancy Tax (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Code Compliance briefing, Short-Term Rentals Update (November 7, 2024) (opens in a new tab)) |
"Not found" means the restriction was not located in the linked official materials reviewed as of the update date. It does not prove that no later, uncodified, parcel-specific, or special-district rule applies.
Good to know
- Dallas: The decisive owner-specific rule is zoning: the June 2023 ordinance would bar short-term rentals from single-family and other residential districts, where most Dallas homes sit, and limits them to office, multifamily, central area, mixed use, commercial, and urban corridor districts, with registration, inspection, a certificate of occupancy, and fee payment layered on top. Both ordinances remain on the books but unenforceable while the December 6, 2023 temporary injunction is in effect, and the city's November 2024 briefing states the city awaits release of the injunction, so the rules could resume being enforced after the litigation resolves. Hotel occupancy tax collection and citywide property, noise, and nuisance standards apply to Dallas owners today regardless of the injunction. (City of Dallas Code Compliance, Short-Term Rentals page (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Code Compliance briefing, Short-Term Rentals Update (November 7, 2024) (opens in a new tab), City of Dallas Planning and Development, Short-Term Rentals page (opens in a new tab))
FAQ
Do I need a permit or registration to run a short-term rental in Dallas in 2026?
By ordinance yes: rentals under 30 consecutive days must register annually under Chapter 42B and meet the STR zoning rules, and operating without a registration would be an offense. In practice, a court's December 6, 2023 temporary injunction blocks enforcement of both 2023 ordinances, and the city is not processing STR registrations while the litigation is pending. Hotel occupancy tax registration and payment are still required now.
Which Dallas zoning districts allow short-term rentals?
Under the June 2023 zoning rules, STR lodging is allowed by right only in MO(A) and GO(A) office districts, multifamily, central area, mixed use, multiple commercial, and urban corridor districts, including planned developments whose base zoning is on that list. Single-family and other residential districts are not included, so STRs would be barred there once the ordinance is enforceable. Check the city's zoning map or contact the city's zoning consultation team for a specific address.
How much does the Dallas STR permit cost, and what taxes do I pay?
The posted Chapter 42B text sets a $214.00 annual registration fee per property (nonrefundable, includes the initial inspection, with a $124.00 reinspection fee), renewed yearly or upon sale, but a later September 2023 fee ordinance amended that section, the current amount could not be confirmed in official materials, and no fee is being collected while the injunction is in effect. Taxes still apply today: 9% city hotel occupancy tax plus the 6% Texas state hotel occupancy tax, 15% combined, remitted monthly.
Are there night limits, minimum stays, or occupancy caps for Dallas STRs?
No annual cap on rental nights was located in the city's official materials; the limits are per stay and per property. A rental period must be fewer than 30 consecutive days, the posted ordinance materials state a two-night minimum stay, occupancy is limited to three persons per bedroom with a 12-guest maximum, and multitenant buildings face unit-percentage caps (3% in multifamily zones, 20% in nonresidential zones, none in buildings of 20 or fewer units). Stays of 30 or more consecutive days are exempt from hotel occupancy tax. These operating rules are currently unenforceable under the injunction, but the 30-day tax exemption and citywide noise and property standards still apply.
General information, not legal advice. Short-term rental rules change, so verify current requirements with the jurisdiction before listing.