Travis County, Texas Short-Term Rental Rules 2026

LawfulStay tracks short-term rental rules for 5 places in Travis County, Texas. Each city and town sets its own rules, so select a place below for its permit, tax and other rules, or see all of Texas.

3 Active 2 Restricted

Travis County at a glance

Places tracked
5 places: 3 active, 2 restricted
License or registration
Required in all 4 local places
Tax on stays
Applies in all 4 local places
County law
Unincorporated Travis County has no short-term rental permit, night cap or owner-occupancy rule. County rules ›

Travis County short-term rental questions

Are short-term rentals legal in Travis County?

In all 5 places we track in Travis County, short-term rentals are allowed, 2 of them with permit conditions or limits.

Do I need a license for a short-term rental in Travis County?

All 4 local places we track in Travis County require a license, permit or registration. Check your city's page for its rules.

Is there a countywide short-term rental law in Travis County?

Unincorporated Travis County has no short-term rental permit, night cap or owner-occupancy rule.

Which places in Travis County have the strictest rules?

On our records: Austin, Lakeway.

Travis County Airbnb & Vacation Rental Regulation Overview

The short-term rental regulatory landscape in Travis County encompasses 5 tracked jurisdictions: 3 with active regulations, 2 with restrictions. Hosts operating on platforms like Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com should verify local requirements before listing, as rules vary significantly between cities and regions.

4 of 5 tracked jurisdictions in Travis County require some form of permit, license, or registration for short-term rental operations. Requirements range from simple online registration to comprehensive permit applications with inspections.

Tax obligations apply in 5 of 5 jurisdictions. Common taxes include occupancy taxes, tourist levies, and sales taxes. Many jurisdictions require hosts to register for tax collection, and some platforms like Airbnb collect and remit taxes automatically in select locations.

Cities with significant restrictions on vacation rentals include Austin, Lakeway. These jurisdictions typically impose permit caps, zoning limitations, or primary residence requirements.

LawfulStay monitors Travis County STR regulations daily and updates this page as rules change. Each city page includes detailed permit requirements, fee schedules, tax rates, zoning rules, and penalty information sourced from official government websites.

Austinalso in Bastrop County, Hays County, Williamson County
Every rental needs a two-year City of Austin license ($736.60 new), and one host may run up to two units per site, with other sites at least 1,000 feet apart
Restricted
Lakeway
Lakeway allows short-term rentals only with a special use permit, and the city caps permits at 25 (condominiums not counted) with a 1,000-foot spacing rule between permitted homes
Restricted
Lago Vista
Lago Vista requires a $50 city short-term occupancy permit for rentals in its R-1, R-O, RR-A and R-2 residential districts
Active
Round Rockalso in Williamson County
Round Rock requires annual city registration for each short-term rental and a 9 percent city hotel and venue tax that hosts must remit themselves, on top of the 6 percent state tax
Active
Travis County (unincorporated)
Unincorporated Travis County has no short-term rental permit, night cap or owner-occupancy rule
Active