Updated October 2, 2026 with confirmed renewal-fee figures from the City's official FY2027 Development Fee Schedule, plus documented host and local-association reaction.
San Antonio short-term-rental permit costs are changing October 1, 2026. Under the City's FY2027 Development Services fee action, a Type 1 STR permit rises from $300 to $450, while a Type 2 permit rises from $450 to $1,000 — an increase of $550 on the three-year Type 2 permit.
If you're a non-owner-occupied host, that's the number that matters most: annualized over the three-year permit term, your STR permit cost goes from roughly $150 a year to about $333 a year.
The actual numbers
| Permit type | Current fee | Fee starting Oct. 1 | Dollar change | Percent change | Annualized (3-year term) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 (owner/operator occupied) | $300 | $450 | +$150 | +50.0% | $100/yr → $150/yr |
| Type 2 (non-owner/non-operator occupied) | $450 | $1,000 | +$550 | +122.2% | $150/yr → $333.33/yr |
City Development Services Director Amin Tohmaz confirmed these figures directly in the City Council's August 25 budget work session, describing STR permits as one of two specific exceptions to the standard FY2027 fee treatment. The STR Association of San Antonio has separately characterized these as a 50% increase for Type 1 and a 122% increase for Type 2.
One important correction, since the math trips people up: don't calculate this as a simple 15% bump on your current fee. That would give you $345 for Type 1 and $517.50 for Type 2 — both wrong. City staff set the STR permit schedule separately from the general fee increase described below.
Why the general 15% number doesn't apply here
You may have heard San Antonio is raising development fees 15% this year. That's true — but STR permits aren't part of that general calculation, they're a specifically stated exception with their own new dollar amounts.
The City Council adopted the FY2027 budget on September 17, 2026, including a broader plan to raise development-related fees a cumulative 35% over three fiscal years:
| Fiscal year | General Development Services change | STR-specific note |
|---|---|---|
| FY2027 (effective Oct. 1, 2026) | 15% general permit-fee increase, plus the Development Services surcharge rising from 3% to 4% | Type 1 and Type 2 are separate, larger increases: $300→$450 and $450→$1,000 |
| FY2028 | 12% planned increase | No adopted STR-specific schedule yet — don't assume future STR fee amounts |
| FY2029 | 8% planned increase | Same — nothing confirmed yet for STR permits specifically |
The City's stated reasoning: about 87% of Development Services fees hadn't been updated since 2008, and the department — funded through an enterprise fund reliant on permit-related revenue — has been dealing with flat or declining permit activity alongside rising operating costs. The department had already frozen 42 positions starting October 2025, with 59 vacancies at the time of the August presentation.
If you already have a permit: renewals are confirmed at the same price
San Antonio STR permits run on a three-year cycle, and this is no longer a gray area: the City's official FY2027 Development Fee Schedule lists renewal fees as a separate line item from application fees — and they're identical.
| Fee type | Type 1 | Type 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Permit Application Fee | $450.00 | $1,000.00 |
| Permit Renewal Fee | $450.00 | $1,000.00 |
So whether you're filing for a new STR permit or renewing an existing one, you're paying the same number. There's no discount for renewing and no separate, lower renewal tier — budget the full $450 (Type 1) or $1,000 (Type 2) whenever your three-year permit comes up, not just for first-time applicants.
What San Antonio hosts are saying
Publicly documented host reaction to the new fees has focused less on blanket opposition and more on how the City calculated the increase. Before the September 17 budget vote, local operators spoke with the San Antonio Express-News about what they wanted to see:
- Shelley Galbraith, chair of the Short Term Rental Association of San Antonio (STRASA): "We just want to make sure that the fee itself is fair." She also said she wished the increase hadn't come "all at once" — a concern about the size and timing of a one-step jump, not a rejection of any increase at all.
- David Birdy, who manages more than 60 area rentals: "Transparency builds trust. Permit fees should recover the cost of regulation, not become an additional source of revenue." His focus was cost basis and how fee revenue gets used, not the dollar figure alone.
- Marcella Palaferri told the paper she planned to keep operating despite concern about the size of the increase — a useful counterweight to any assumption that the fee change is pushing hosts out of the market.
STRASA's own public response goes beyond repeating the percentage increases. The association says it attended budget town halls, met with City Council offices and staff, submitted open-records requests, and continues reviewing the City's cost and compliance data — while also emphasizing enforcement against unpermitted, non-compliant listings. That's a cost-and-data-focused advocacy position, not a campaign against having a fee at all.
One detail from STRASA worth repeating here since it reinforces what's already confirmed above: existing permit holders aren't billed the new rate simply because October 1 arrived. The new schedule applies when a permit is actually renewed, consistent with the City's official fee schedule listing matching application and renewal amounts.
Worth being precise about: publicly accessible discussion specific to this October 2026 change is limited — a handful of named-operator comments and the local association's response are the clearest signal available, not a broad survey of how all San Antonio hosts feel. Treat it as documented concern from identifiable sources, not a verdict on host sentiment generally.
Sources: San Antonio Express-News coverage of the proposed increase (Sept. 9, 2026); STRASA's public statements on the fee adoption and on what an STR permit should cost.
Applying or renewing right around October 1?
No official City source found in this research confirms a grace period, a pending-application carve-out, or a "submit before September 30 to lock in the old price" policy for STR permits. The City has said the changes take effect October 1 and will be reflected in BuildSA starting that day.
If your Type 1 or Type 2 application or renewal is close to submission, don't assume a pre-October estimate holds — confirm the actual fee and payment timing directly with Development Services or in BuildSA before you pay.
If you're remodeling, building an ADU, or converting a property to STR use
The FY2027 fee changes reach well beyond the STR permit line item — the broader plan covers permitting, platting, zoning, inspections, code enforcement, and administrative fees. What you'll actually pay depends on your specific project: construction valuation, plan review, trade permits, the surcharge, and inspections all factor in. There's no single 15% number that covers a whole project.
| Your situation | What might be affected | How to think about it |
|---|---|---|
| Operating an existing STR only | The STR permit itself, and its eventual renewal | The Type 1/Type 2 change above is the identified impact |
| Remodeling (kitchen, bath, systems, addition) | Building permit, plan review, electrical/plumbing/mechanical permits, inspections, surcharge | Get an updated BuildSA estimate — the STR permit doesn't cover construction work |
| Building an ADU | Possible zoning/land-development review, building permit, plan review, trade permits, inspections | The STR permit is separate from property-development approval — confirm zoning, occupancy, and parking requirements independently |
| Converting an existing home to STR use | Just the STR permit, unless physical changes trigger additional review | A conversion alone doesn't automatically create remodel fees — structural, electrical, plumbing, or access changes might |
What to do this week
- Confirm which permit you hold — Type 1 (owner/operator occupied) or Type 2 (non-owner/non-operator occupied).
- Check your permit's expiration date and start renewal planning ahead of the three-year deadline — renewals cost the same as new applications, so there's no benefit to waiting.
- If you're applying or renewing close to October 1, pull the live fee from BuildSA or call Development Services directly rather than budgeting off an old number.
- Budget $450 (Type 1) or $1,000 (Type 2) for your next renewal — not a discounted "existing permit" rate, since none exists.
- Budget the new permit fee separately from your city/county/state Hotel Occupancy Tax obligations — they're not the same line item.
- Planning a remodel, ADU, or physical conversion? Request a project-specific BuildSA estimate rather than assuming your STR permit covers it.
- Keep your permit, HOT filings, property contact info, and safety/complaint records organized and current — this is generally the kind of documentation that matters if your permit status is ever questioned.
One more thing worth knowing, separately
This fee change lands about two weeks after Airbnb's own September 15, 2026 deadline for hosts to adjust pricing ahead of its host-only service fee migration. Worth flagging for household budgeting purposes — two real cost changes landing close together — but these are unrelated: a city fee action and a platform pricing policy from two entirely separate organizations, not a coordinated event.
This post covers what's publicly confirmed by the City of San Antonio as of October 2, 2026, cross-checked against the City's official FY2027 Development Fee Schedule (revised September 2026), plus publicly reported host and local-association reaction. Permit fees and BuildSA's live schedule can still change — always verify current numbers directly with San Antonio Development Services or BuildSA before paying. This isn't legal or tax advice; for permit status, zoning, or compliance questions specific to your property, confirm with Development Services or a qualified professional.
Chabod can help you think through the operational side of running an STR in San Antonio — turnover costs, cleaning scope, and what a reliable process actually looks like. See how we handle STR turnovers. For permit fees, tax filings, and legal compliance, Development Services and a licensed professional are your source of truth.