FAQs

The Denton Development Code defines Short-Term Rental (STR) as:

Short-Term Rentals are defined as the rental of an entire dwelling unit or bedroom for monetary consideration for a period of time not less than 24 hours and not more than 29 consecutive days, not including a bed and breakfast, boarding or rooming house, hotel or motel.  

Hotel is defined as "A facility offering transient lodging accommodations at a daily rate for a period of time not to exceed 30 days, and providing additional services, such as restaurants, meeting rooms, and recreational facilities. Guest quarters are accessible through a main entrance and by hallways."

Group Home is defined as "A profit or nonprofit facility, home, or structure for the protective care of persons, both adult and adolescent, who need a watchful environment, but do not have an illness, injury, or disability which requires chronic or convalescent care, including medical and nursing services. Protective care and watchful oversight includes, but is not limited to, a daily awareness by management of the residents' whereabouts, the asking and reminding of residents of their appointments for medical checkups, the ability and readiness of management to intervene if a crisis arises for a resident, and supervision by management in areas of nutrition, medication, and actual provision of transient medical care, with a 24-hour responsibility for the well-being of residents of the facility. Personal care facilities are exempt from the definition of a family. Please note, staff is in the process of proposing an amendment to the definition of Group Home.

Community Home is defined as "A community-based residential home containing not more than six disabled persons with two supervisory personnel which meets the requirements of the Community Homes for the Disabled Persons Location Act, Tex. Hum. Res. Code Chapter 123.001, et seq. (Vernon 1990), as amended." Please note, staff is in the process of proposing an amendment to the definition of Community Home.

Elderly Housing is defined as "A structure licensed by the Texas Department of Aging and Disability, 80 percent of whose occupants are 55 years of age and older"

The new regulations clarify several definitions and requirements related to Short-Term Rentals, including types of dwelling units that may be rented and parking requirements. Additionally, the number of zoning districts allowing short-term rentals was expanded to include any zoning district which allows residential uses and additional requirements were placed on short-term rentals in residential zoning districts and multifamily developments. 

Short-term rentals will still need to register on an annual basis. However, the terms of the registration are amended to run on a calendar year basis. Registered short-term rentals will be able renew their certificates prior to the new year starting during the renewal period (Nov. 1-Dec. 31). 

Those who are legally registered in 2024 will have the term limits of their registration extended to the end of 2025 and will have legal non-conforming use status if found to not be in compliance with the new regulations.

Short-term rentals that are not legally registered with the City by January 1, 2025 will need to register and comply with the new regulations. 

Any use of land established legally at the time of the passage of the DDC that does not conform, after the passage or amendment of the DDC, with the regulations of the district in which it is located. 

An existing short-term rental must have been registered with the City prior to January 1, 2025 to gain legal non-conforming status.

Presently registered short-term rentals may continue to renew their permits during the annual renewal period. Any site spacing or other nonconformities in those registrations may continue to exist, provided the registration renewals continue for the nonconforming short-term rental.  

The City will be using a new software tool, Rentalscape, to assist in short-term rental registration and compliance. 

Applicants can register online at https://str.deckard.com/tx-denton-city_of_denton/. An information packet on the website explains documents needed for registration.