Airbnb Co-Hosting in Stone Oak: What Owners Should Know

If you own a home in Stone Oak and you're thinking about Airbnb or Vrbo, this post is for you. I'm Chase Johnson, and I co-host short term rentals in San Antonio. Stone Oak is one of the areas I serve. Here is what I would walk through with you before the first guest books: where Stone Oak starts and stops, the city permit, the Type 2 density rule, your HOA, hotel tax, and how co-hosting fits on top.

What co-hosting looks like for a Stone Oak home

With co-hosting, you keep your own Airbnb account and your reviews. I join your listing as a co-host and take on the work you don't want to do, like pricing, guest messages and turnovers. How much I take on depends on the level of help you pick on my pricing page.

Stone Oak sits in North San Antonio along US 281 and Loop 1604. A lot of the homes are on the larger side, which can suit families and groups who want more room than a hotel gives them.

Where Stone Oak actually starts and stops

Many people call anything north of Loop 1604 between Blanco Road and US 281 "Stone Oak," but the official community has set boundaries. In a KSAT report, the Stone Oak Property Owners Association manager described them as including all of Stone Oak Parkway to US 281 and running up toward Hardy Oak Boulevard. The same report notes that the Village at Stone Oak and Stone Oak Methodist Hospital are next to the neighborhood but not in it.

The rules you follow depend on exactly where your home sits. So first, confirm two things for your address: that it is inside San Antonio city limits, and which neighborhood association it belongs to.

Start with the San Antonio STR permit

If your home is inside city limits, you need a short term rental permit from the City of San Antonio's Development Services Department. The basics from the city's STR Permits page:

• Type 1 (owner or operator occupied): $450
• Type 2 (not owner or operator occupied): $1,000
• The city adds an 8% surcharge to application and renewal fees.
• Permits are good for three years and don't transfer to a new owner.
• Each unit needs its own permit.
• The application asks for contact info for the owner, the applicant and a 24/7 designated operator, plus a floor plan and parking plan showing max guests, fire extinguishers, sleeping areas, evacuation routes and off street parking.
• The city says permits are issued within five business days once a complete application is in.

The city's fact sheet also says your permit number must be included on the sites where you advertise, like Airbnb and Vrbo. For more on what changed with fees this fall, see my post on San Antonio STR permit fees.

The Type 2 limit on your block

If you don't live in the home you want to rent, you would need a Type 2 permit, and Type 2 permits have a density limit. According to the city's STR fact sheet, Type 2 rentals are allowed by right up to 12.5% of the units on a blockface, which is one side of the street between intersections. Every blockface gets at least one Type 2 by right.

Once the limit is reached, you would need a special exception from the Board of Adjustment. The city lists that fee at $460 for homes with a homestead exemption and $690 for all others, plus the 8% surcharge. So check your block before you buy furniture or book a photographer.

Check your HOA before you furnish anything

Per the same KSAT report, Stone Oak has 6,500 commercial and residential property owners and 36 neighborhood associations. Your home may answer to the master association and to your own neighborhood association too.

The City of San Antonio says plainly that it does not enforce covenants and deed restrictions, and that it's the applicant's job to check for any that apply. So a city permit doesn't mean your HOA allows short term rentals. Read your neighborhood's CC&Rs and rules, and ask your association if anything is unclear.

One more thing worth knowing. The Stone Oak Property Owners Association's recorded fine policy says a violation by a resident, tenant, guest or agent is treated as a violation by the owner, and fines are billed to the owner. In plain terms, if a guest breaks a rule, the bill comes to you, so clear house rules matter.

Hotel tax is a monthly job

Short term rental stays owe hotel occupancy tax. The city lists its rate at 9% and Bexar County's at 1.75%, and the Texas Comptroller lists the state rate at 6%. The city also says STR owners or operators must pay or report hotel tax every month, even when the amount is zero.

Pools, hot tubs and quiet hours

If your Stone Oak home has a pool, hot tub or other outdoor amenities, the city's fact sheet says a quiet hours notice must be posted on site, and quiet hours follow the city's noise ordinance.

Where I fit in

I offer three levels of help:

• Self-Managed Support (12%): you stay hands on, and I run the listing, pricing and guests.
• Hybrid Hosting (18%): adds turnover cleaning coordination, maintenance coordination and guest screening.
• Turnkey Partnership (22%): fully hands off, including in person guest support and STR permit and hotel tax filing.

All three are a percentage of monthly rental revenue, with no setup fee for management clients and month to month terms with 30 days' notice. You can see every detail on the pricing page, and you can find the other towns I cover on my service areas page.

FAQ

Do I need a city permit for an Airbnb in Stone Oak? If your home is inside San Antonio city limits, yes. You need a Type 1 or Type 2 STR permit from the city's Development Services Department, and the permit number has to be on your listings.

Can my Stone Oak HOA stop me from renting short term? It can, depending on your neighborhood's rules. The city doesn't enforce covenants or deed restrictions, so it's on you to check yours before you list.

What does co-hosting cost? My tiers are 12%, 18% or 22% of monthly rental revenue, with no setup fee for management clients. The pricing page shows what each one includes.

Thinking about renting your Stone Oak home?

If you want to see what your home could earn, start with a free rental analysis on the Get Started page. It's generated automatically from a few quick questions about your home, and there's no obligation. If you'd rather talk it through, you can book a free call with me from the same page.