San Antonio STR Owners Push Back on Permit Fee Hike

9/15/2026

San Antonio short-term rental owners are pushing back against a proposed permit fee increase that would more than double costs for some operators. Current permits cost $300 for owners who live on-site and $450 for those who do not, but the city proposes raising them to $450 and $1,000, respectively. City officials say the higher fees would cover the costs of permitting, compliance monitoring, and police responses to STR-related calls, which are projected to cost more than $172,600 next fiscal year. Owners want greater transparency, questioning whether police calls attributed to STRs are actually related to rental activity. The proposed increases are part of more than 100 new or higher fees intended to address San Antonio’s $158 million budget deficit. The city estimates the STR increases would generate $720,000 in fiscal 2027 and $1.1 million the following year. San Antonio has about 4,000 STRs, with roughly 3,300 currently permitted.