San Antonio Short-Term Rental Market Report (2026)

If you're deciding whether San Antonio still makes sense for a short-term rental, here's where the market actually stands, based on the most current industry data available.

The numbers right now

As of July 2026, San Antonio has 9,737 active short-term rental listings, according to AirDNA, the most widely used data provider in the industry. The average active listing earned about $20,500 over the trailing twelve months, with 56% occupancy and a $173 average daily rate. RevPAR, which blends rate and occupancy into one number, came in at $91.

What changed over the past year

Comparing July 2025 to July 2026, a few things moved at once. Revenue per listing climbed 13.3%. Occupancy rose 9.5%. Average daily rate actually dropped 8.6%. And the number of active listings fell 10%.

Put together, that points to a market where a chunk of casual or poorly run listings dropped out, and the properties that stayed are booking more nights at a slightly lower nightly rate, netting more revenue overall through volume rather than price. It's a reasonably common pattern in maturing short-term rental markets, where the operators without a real strategy eventually exit and the ones left standing are running things more seriously.

What's driving demand

San Antonio's population has been growing steadily, and regional forecasts expect that growth to continue through the end of the decade, which is a meaningful long-term driver on its own. On top of that, the city has a tourism calendar that keeps visitor demand fairly steady through the year rather than concentrated into one short season. The River Walk and the Alamo bring consistent visitor traffic, Fiesta draws a major spring surge, and the city regularly hosts conventions and sporting events that add demand outside the usual travel seasons.

The regulatory environment

Every short-term rental in the city needs a permit. Type 1 applies if the owner or operator lives on the property, Type 2 applies if they don't, and Type 2 properties are capped at 12.5% of any given block face. Permit applications cost $300 or $450 depending on type and are renewed every three years, on top of Hotel Occupancy Tax at 9% to the city, 1.75% to the county, and 6% to the state.

This regulatory friction is part of why active listing counts can shrink even while revenue climbs. It filters out operators who aren't set up to run things properly and leaves more of the demand for the properties that are.

What this means if you're evaluating a property here

Market averages blend everything together, from listings that are barely managed to ones that are optimized well. A well priced, well reviewed, professionally managed property typically outperforms the average by a real margin rather than just sitting at it. Where a property is located and what kind of guest it's suited for (a short urban trip versus a longer family stay) also shapes which platforms and pricing approach make the most sense, which is worth thinking through alongside the numbers above rather than separately from them.

These figures reflect trailing twelve month market data through July 2026. Individual property performance depends heavily on location, condition, and how it's managed, so treat this as context for a decision rather than a guarantee of what any one property will earn.

Update (September 2026): The City of San Antonio is raising short-term rental permit fees effective October 1, 2026. Type 1 (owner-occupied) permits, new and renewal, go from $300 to $450. Type 2 (non-owner-occupied) permits, new and renewal, go from $450 to $1,000. The city is also adding an 8% surcharge to all Land Development fees. The fees above reflect what applied when this article was published.