Fort WorthShort-term rental rules

Largest 50 cities / Texas

Fort Worth zones investor short-term rentals out of every residential district, and a Tarrant County court upheld that ban in March 2025, affirmed on appeal in May 2026. Registration does not transfer on sale, and no grandfathering exists at any vintage.

Research reviewed Oct 18, 2026. Original city review.

Compare this market What changed Start a property worksheet

Does the operating permit transfer?: New application
The code states registration is non-transferable, and courts have held even pre-2018 operators had no vested right to continue; a buyer in a residential zone cannot legally register at all.
Can the land-use approval continue?: Verify the property approval
The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
Can this buyer obtain approval?: Investor rentals are prohibited in every residential zoning district; they are allowed only in mixed-use, commercial, and industrial districts, with no cap within those districts.
License or registration: The city issues a single Short-Term Rental Registration for $150, plus a $100 annual renewal, only where zoning already allows the use.
Application availability: Confirm current availability
Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
Timing to verify: No sale-specific deadline was established in this summary. Ask the issuing office about filing, renewal and any interruption in operation.
Changes and uncertainty: Plaintiffs petitioned the Texas Supreme Court on Aug. 3, 2026 after losing on appeal; no ruling yet.

What this means for the appraisal

Obtain the buyer application requirements and confirm the earliest approved operating date before assuming continuity of rental income.
Verify the property’s land-use approval and continuation conditions. Research finding: Verify the property approval.
Check the proposed buyer against the recorded requirements: Investor rentals are prohibited in every residential zoning district; they are allowed only in mixed-use, commercial, and industrial districts, with no cap within those districts.
In the assignment analysis, identify the evidence supporting the proposed rental use, any operating interruption and any unresolved assumptions.

Use these prompts to plan the property review. The appraiser must evaluate the evidence and reach the assignment-specific conclusions.

Record the property evidence in a worksheet

Request documents from the owner or agent

Copy this market-specific request, add the property address and edit it for the assignment.

Read or select the document request

Document request for Fort Worth

Subject: STR property document request | Fort Worth, TX

Please provide the following documents for the property under review. Identify any item that is unavailable or does not apply.

1. Property address, parcel ID and confirmation of the governing jurisdiction.
2. Current operating permit or registration, named holder, expiration date and renewal history, if applicable.
3. Written ownership-change instructions from the issuing office. Guide finding: The code states registration is non-transferable, and courts have held even pre-2018 operators had no vested right to continue; a buyer in a residential zone cannot legally register at all.
4. Zoning approval, conditional-use permit, variance or grandfathering record, including conditions and evidence of continued use. Guide finding: The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
5. Documents addressing the proposed buyer and property requirements: Investor rentals are prohibited in every residential zoning district; they are allowed only in mixed-use, commercial, and industrial districts, with no cap within those districts.
6. Current confirmation of application availability, including any cap, waitlist, lottery or separation rule. Guide finding: Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
7. Recorded covenants, HOA or condominium rental restrictions and applicable lease restrictions.
8. Rental operating statements and booking records, with the periods covered and any anticipated interruption at closing.

Market research reviewed: 2026-10-18. These requests need property-specific verification.
Official research sources:
Fort Worth Short-Term Rental Ordinance (No. 26005-02-2023): https://fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/public/v/3/neighborhoods/documents/str/short-term-rental-ordinance-26005-02-2023.pdf
Texas 2nd Court of Appeals, Modern Builders, LLC v. City of Fort Worth, No. 02-25-00275-CV: https://search.txcourts.gov/Case.aspx?cn=02-25-00275-CV&coa=coa02

Subject: STR property document request | Fort Worth, TX

Please provide the following documents for the property under review. Identify any item that is unavailable or does not apply.

1. Property address, parcel ID and confirmation of the governing jurisdiction.
2. Current operating permit or registration, named holder, expiration date and renewal history, if applicable.
3. Written ownership-change instructions from the issuing office. Guide finding: The code states registration is non-transferable, and courts have held even pre-2018 operators had no vested right to continue; a buyer in a residential zone cannot legally register at all.
4. Zoning approval, conditional-use permit, variance or grandfathering record, including conditions and evidence of continued use. Guide finding: The operating-permit rule does not establish whether this parcel’s zoning approval, variance or older-use protection continues. Obtain the actual approval and its conditions.
5. Documents addressing the proposed buyer and property requirements: Investor rentals are prohibited in every residential zoning district; they are allowed only in mixed-use, commercial, and industrial districts, with no cap within those districts.
6. Current confirmation of application availability, including any cap, waitlist, lottery or separation rule. Guide finding: Application availability was not separately reverified for this explorer. Check the city’s current program, cap, lottery or waitlist before relying on the seller’s rental history.
7. Recorded covenants, HOA or condominium rental restrictions and applicable lease restrictions.
8. Rental operating statements and booking records, with the periods covered and any anticipated interruption at closing.

Market research reviewed: 2026-10-18. These requests need property-specific verification.
Official research sources:
Fort Worth Short-Term Rental Ordinance (No. 26005-02-2023): https://fortworthtexas.gov/files/assets/public/v/3/neighborhoods/documents/str/short-term-rental-ordinance-26005-02-2023.pdf
Texas 2nd Court of Appeals, Modern Builders, LLC v. City of Fort Worth, No. 02-25-00275-CV: https://search.txcourts.gov/Case.aspx?cn=02-25-00275-CV&coa=coa02

Research and guide updates

Oct 18, 2026 Research record: Research recorded for this market. Original city review. See the findings, open questions and official sources below.
Nov 1, 2026 Guide tools: Added assignment prompts, a document request and consistent research questions. This tool update does not change the market research date.

Changes and uncertainty to verify

Plaintiffs petitioned the Texas Supreme Court on Aug. 3, 2026 after losing on appeal; no ruling yet.

Sources and research limits

Carried forward from the October 18, 2026 city research. The explorer separates the operating permit from land-use rights; this is not a new verification of all current city rules.

Use this summary to identify the documents and questions for a property review. A seller's rental history alone does not establish a buyer's permission to operate.

Search all 120 jurisdictions