STRs: The City of San Antonio Annual Report for 2025 is Out!

It’s official: the numbers speak

The City of San Antonio’s newly released Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report for short‐term rentals reveals a striking fact: since the updated STR ordinance (and its tax provisions) came into effect, city hotel occupancy tax (HOT) collections have more than doubled starting with the March 1 remittances.

While the full report covers a range of metrics—from permits issued to revocations and enforcement actions—the standout figure for operators is this surge in HOT revenue: from $5.56 million in FY 2024 to $9.57 million in FY 2025.

What triggered the jump?

Several regulatory and administrative changes aligned to create this result:

• In major part, with the new STR ordinance passed June 13, 2024, the city shifted to requiring platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo to collect and remit the City of San Antonio portion of the HOT directly on behalf of hosts from February 1, 2025.

• The revised STR ordinance approved in June 2024 ramped up compliance efforts, permit fee increases, enforcement tools and clarity around tax obligations.

• Improved tracking and reporting systems have enabled better visibility into STR operations and revenue flows.

  
  

In short: the city is capturing more of the tax base, which means STR hosts are operating under a clearer, fairer system.

Why this matters to you as a host

1. Leveling the playing field

As STRASA members know, compliant hosts have long felt frustrated by the “under-the-radar” competition—units that avoid regulations, skip permits or under-report revenue. The uptick in HOT collection signals that the city is closing the gap. Better compliance = more credibility for our sector.

2. Better relations with neighborhoods & regulators

When the city collects more tax revenue, it not only boosts local tourism funding and neighborhood services, but also strengthens the case for responsible STR operations. That helps protect our collective interests: more reasonable regulation, less adversarial enforcement, and greater recognition of STRs as a legitimate lodging category.

3. Data you can brag about

As an operator, you can point to the doubling in HOT collections as evidencing the growing professionalism of the STR industry in San Antonio. Use it in owner-reports, investor decks, neighborhood briefs or even permit renewals: “Hey – our market is delivering real value, not just revenue but compliance, transparency and economic benefit.”

4. Increased scrutiny = increased obligation

While this is positive, it also raises the bar. With more tax remittance and enforcement activity, hosts must ensure their reporting, bookkeeping and permit status are rock-solid. Zero-income months still require filing. Platform remittances don’t relieve you of your filing obligation for county HOT.

Key takeaways for your operations

• Confirm your permit is current: The report notes 516 permits were revoked in FY 2025 due to HOT delinquency and other violations. The single biggest issue with permit renewals is the fact that some hosts don't have a current email on file with their permit records. Please check the email address in your permit record in BuildSA and update if necessary. (Link here.)

• Verify platform activity: Don’t assume the platform has paid city tax for a given booking—check your statements.

• Maintain monthly reporting discipline: Regardless of whether you had bookings, the monthly HOT filing is still required.

• Leverage the story: When speaking with neighbors, small-business partners, city staff or owners, frame your operation not just as a revenue-generator, but as part of a tax‐paying, community-supporting lodging ecosystem.

• Stay plugged into the compliance landscape: The STR ordinance revisions and enforcement dynamics are still evolving. STRASA will continue to monitor and advocate.

  
  

A forward-look

The FY 2025 report gives us encouragement: the system is working — more tax collected, better compliance, more stability. For STR hosts in San Antonio, that means an opportunity to build in an environment that’s increasingly regulated but also increasingly fair.

Our challenge now is to sustain this momentum: to operate at a high standard, to engage with city and community stakeholders proactively, and to ensure that STRs continue to be seen as responsible neighbors and valuable contributors.

Because when the industry steps up — as indicated by the hotel occupancy tax numbers — we all win: hosts, guests, neighborhoods and the city alike.

Download the full report from the City of San Antonio here.