For Austin residents and visitors seeking a place to stay for SXSW, renting a house has become an increasingly popular option. These vacation rentals, also called short-term rentals or STRs, offer a more authentic Austin experience for visitors, and provides a source of income for property owners.

The City of Austin requires everyone who leases their property as a short-term rental to acquire a license through the Austin Code Department’s Short-Term Rental Licensing Program.

“License renewals and complete application packets must be received by Feb. 28, in order to receive a short-term rental license for your property in time for SXSW,” says Marcus Elliott, Acting Division Manager, Austin Code Department.

The Austin Code Department is encouraging the community to utilize social media for questions regarding the Short-Term Rental Licensing Program, and will host their second Twitter Q&A on Friday, Feb. 20, 2015, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m CST. Subject matter experts will be on-hand to answer all questions at Twitter handle @Austin_Code using hashtag #ATXSTR.

City codes and ordinances have been adopted to protect the health, safety, and quality of life for the citizens of Austin. If there is a code violation in your neighborhood, call 3-1-1. And remember, you can always call anonymously.

For more information on the Short-Term Rental Licensing Program visit: www.austintexas.gov/STR.