Where short-term rentals are allowed in New Braunfels, TX
In New Braunfels the first check is your zoning, because a property in a residential district cannot be rented short term as it stands. Living in the property is not a condition. A stay then carries thirteen percent of hotel occupancy tax once the state's share is added to the city's.[3]
Every rule below links to the official source it comes from, verified September 20, 2026.
Can you rent short term in New Braunfels?
Your zoning decides
What you apply for: Short-term rental permit
- Seasonal homes
- 1,008
- Housing units
- 44,517
- Residents
- 104,643
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates
- City ruleAllowed by zone
- City fee$206
- Tax on each stay13%
- Seasonal homes23 per 1,000
New Braunfels short-term rental permit
New Braunfels does not allow short-term rentals in any residential zoning district. A special use permit is required in the non-residential zones, except C-4, C-4A and C-4B where the use is allowed outright. A residential property can only get there by having a special use permit added to it. The city says that process takes about three months and goes before the Planning Commission once and the City Council twice. Once the zoning question is settled, the operator applies for a permit through the online portal. The application takes proof of ownership, emergency contact information, site and floor plans, and commercial general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence. The initial permit and fire inspection fee is $206. Annual life safety inspections by the Fire Marshal's Office are mandatory for every short-term rental unit inside the city limits. A renewal means updated insurance, a passed fire inspection and the $128 renewal fee. The rules sit at section 144-5.17 of the city code, and the city's 7% hotel occupancy tax is due by the twentieth of each month.[3]
What New Braunfels asks of you
Short-term rentals are not allowed in any residential zoning district. A special use permit is required in non-residential zones, except C-4, C-4A and C-4B.[3]
A residential property can only be used this way by having a special use permit added to it. That takes roughly three months, before the Planning Commission once and the City Council twice.[3]
The permit application goes through the online portal with proof of ownership, emergency contact information, site and floor plans, and commercial general liability insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence.[3]
The initial permit and fire inspection fee is $206.[3]
Annual life safety inspections by the Fire Marshal's Office are mandatory for every short-term rental unit in the city limits. Renewal requires updated insurance, a passed fire inspection and a $128 fee.[3]
The regulations are codified at section 144-5.17 of the city code.[3]
What Texas asks wherever you host
These rules apply at this address whatever the city decides.
Texas issues no state short-term rental license. What the state does impose is its hotel occupancy tax. The Comptroller applies it to houses, condominiums and apartments, not only to hotels.[1]
A room priced at $15 or more a day owes the state 6 percent. Local hotel taxes start lower, at $2 a day for a sleeping room. The local taxing authority collects those itself.[1]
After thirty consecutive days without interruption, a guest becomes a permanent resident, exempt from the tax. A guest who announces that plan in writing is exempt from the date of the notice. Any interruption voids it.[2]
What a guest pays on top of your nightly rate in New Braunfels
Each layer is set by a different authority, and not all of them are collected by the platform.
| Layer | Rate | Remitted to |
|---|---|---|
| Texas state hotel occupancy tax[1] | 6% | The state revenue department |
| New Braunfels hotel occupancy tax[3] | 7% | The city |
| Total on a taxable stay | 13% |
The city levies 7% on gross receipts for lodging at $2 or more a day, on top of the state's 6%. It is payable by the twentieth of each month for the previous month's collections.[3]
What the census counts
How much of New Braunfels is already a second home
The Census Bureau counts 1,008 of New Braunfels's 44,517 homes as vacant for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. That is 23 out of every 1,000. It ranks New Braunfels 16th of the 23 Texas cities on this site for the share of its housing stock kept for part-year use.
- Rank in the state
- 16th of 23
- Share of housing
- 23 per 1,000
- Median home value
- $339,400
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 5-year estimates, tables B25004, B25001, B01003 and B25077.
Nearby and comparable
Where New Braunfels sits among its neighbors
Austin, TX
Permit required
In every zoning district, as an accessory to residential use. Each rental needs its own city license.
Austin short-term rental rulesGranbury, TX
Allowed by zone
98 seasonal homes, 16 per 1,000 housing units.
Granbury short-term rental rulesWimberley, TX
Allowed by zone
20 seasonal homes, 14 per 1,000 housing units.
Wimberley short-term rental rulesFAQ
New Braunfels short-term rental questions
Can I run a short-term rental in a New Braunfels neighborhood?
What does the annual inspection involve?
How much tax does a New Braunfels stay carry?
Sources
- Hotel Occupancy Tax, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, read on September 20, 2026
- Hotel Occupancy Tax Exemptions (publication 96-224), Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, read on September 20, 2026
- Short Term Rentals, permits and hotel occupancy tax, City of New Braunfels, read on September 20, 2026
This page is not legal advice. It summarizes the official sources listed on this page as they read on September 20, 2026. Rules can change after that date, so check with the issuing office before you apply or publish a listing.
Before you list
Free tools for new hosts
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