Denton, Texas

Short-term rentals are permitted in Denton, subject to a mandatory annual Short-Term Rental Registration Certificate costing $100, administered through the city’s Deckard permit system. An STR is defined as renting an entire dwelling or bedroom for 24 hours up to 29 consecutive days. Operators must submit proof of ownership, site plans, and floor plans, and designate a Local Emergency Contact; the city notifies neighboring property owners within 100 feet once a certificate is issued.

Major amendments approved October 22, 2024 and effective January 1, 2025 removed the prior owner primary-residence requirement, so non-owner-occupied investor STRs are now allowed, and expanded eligible zoning to any district that permits residential use. The same amendments added guardrails: a city-wide cap of 1,000 certificates per calendar year, a maximum of 2 certificates per parcel, a 100-foot separation rule between STRs, and a 10%-of-units (minimum 2) cap in multifamily developments. Operators must collect and remit the city’s 7.0% hotel occupancy tax monthly, due by the 20th of the following month, plus applicable state hotel tax. No maximum-nights-per-year cap was identified. Enforcement is rated moderate and is complaint-driven, covering noise, parking, and maintenance issues, with monitoring software; failing to register or remit tax can draw fines starting at $500 per violation.