LicensedRental

Travis County, Texas

West Lake Hills, TX vacation rental requirements

West Lake Hills allows short-term rentals only in homes their owners live in, with a city permit and a two-night minimum. Guesthouses, trailers, and RVs can’t be rented.

Checked against official sources November 8, 2026

Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.

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City permit
Required
Approved by the city administrator; neighbors within 300 feet are notified.Source
Owner residency
Resident-owned homes only
Minimum stay
2 nights

From a July 2024 news guide; confirm fees and current rules with the city.

Your licensing checklist

In order: the state, the county, then the town.

State of Texas

  1. Know who pays the hotel tax

    Airbnb collects and pays the 6% state hotel tax on its bookings. If guests pay you directly or through a site that doesn’t collect, register with the Comptroller and file the state tax yourself.Source

    Texas hotel occupancy tax →

  2. Register for local hotel tax

    Your city (and in some places your county) charges its own hotel tax, filed with that city or county, not the state. Airbnb pays it only in the places on its list; everywhere else you register and file it yourself, even for Airbnb bookings.Source

  3. Check your city’s rules

    Many Texas cities require a short-term rental permit or registration, and some require an inspection, a local contact, or posted rules. Outside city limits there’s usually no permit, but deed restrictions and HOA rules often limit rentals. Pick your area for the local rules.Source

Travis County, Texas

  1. Then your city

    Texas counties can’t zone, so rental rules come from the city your home is in. Outside city limits there’s usually no permit, but deed restrictions and HOA rules may limit rentals. Pick your city.Source

  2. Outside city limits

    In unincorporated Travis County, including Austin’s extraterritorial jurisdiction, you don’t need an Austin license and don’t owe Austin’s hotel tax. You still owe the 6% state hotel tax, which Airbnb collects on its bookings.Source

City of West Lake Hills

  1. Apply to the city

    Ask the city for a short-term rental permit. The permit is revoked after three complaints in a year.Source

  2. Hotel taxes on each stay

    Stays of 29 nights or less owe the 6% state hotel tax, which Airbnb collects on its bookings. If guests pay you directly, file it with the Texas Comptroller. West Lake Hills doesn’t report a city hotel tax to the Comptroller; ask the city whether one applies.Source

Sources

A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.