My Bexar County property taxes seem too high. Can I protest, and how does the homestead exemption help?

Yes — protesting your appraisal is a routine and worthwhile step in Texas, where relatively high property taxes (Texas has no state income tax) make your home's appraised value a big deal each year. The Bexar Appraisal District sets your property's appraised value, and you have the right to protest it to the Appraisal Review Board, generally by May 15 or 30 days after your notice of appraised value is mailed, whichever is later. You can protest that the value is too high or unequal compared to similar properties, present evidence (recent sales of comparable homes, photos of needed repairs, an independent appraisal), and negotiate informally with the district before a formal hearing. Separately, make sure you've filed for the homestead exemption if the property is your primary residence — it reduces your home's taxable value, caps how much the appraised value can rise each year (generally 10% annually for a homestead), and unlocks additional exemptions if you're 65 or older or disabled, including a tax "ceiling" for seniors. Many new homeowners forget to file the homestead exemption after buying; you file it with the Bexar Appraisal District, and it can be filed after purchase. Between the exemption and an annual protest, homeowners can meaningfully manage their property-tax burden.

Does San Antonio have rent control, and what are my rights as a tenant?

No — Texas does not have rent control, and state law (Tex. Loc. Gov. Code §214.902) actually prohibits cities from adopting local rent control except in a narrow housing emergency declared with the governor's approval, which effectively means San Antonio has none. So a landlord can generally raise the rent as much as they want at the end of your lease term, and there's no local cap. That said, Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code gives tenants meaningful protections during the tenancy. Your landlord must return your security deposit (with an itemized list of any deductions) generally within 30 days after you move out and provide a forwarding address, and wrongfully withholding a deposit in bad faith can expose the landlord to penalties. The landlord has a duty to repair conditions that materially affect your physical health or safety after you give proper written notice and are current on rent — with specific remedies (including repair-and-deduct in some cases, or terminating the lease) if the landlord fails to act. Texas law also prohibits illegal "self-help" evictions: a landlord generally cannot lock you out (except under narrow conditions with notice) or shut off your utilities to force you out. Evictions must go through the justice of the peace court, and they move fast, so if you receive an eviction notice, respond and show up to the hearing — Texas RioGrande Legal Aid can help income-qualifying tenants.

What does a seller have to disclose when selling a home in Bexar County?

Under Texas Property Code §5.008, a seller of residential property (with some exceptions, such as certain foreclosures and estate sales) must give the buyer a written Seller's Disclosure Notice that describes the property's condition and known defects — covering items like the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, known structural problems, prior flooding or water damage, and other material conditions the seller is aware of. The seller must disclose what they actually know; the form is based on the seller's knowledge, not a warranty that the property is defect-free. If a seller knowingly conceals or fails to disclose a known material defect, or affirmatively misrepresents the condition, the buyer who later discovers the problem may have legal claims (for fraud, statutory violations, or breach). As the buyer, your main tool to investigate is the option period in the standard Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) contract — a short negotiated window (often around a week) during which, after paying an option fee, you can hire an inspector and terminate the contract for any reason if you don't like what you find. Given San Antonio's flash-flood risk in some areas, pay particular attention to flood-history disclosures and flood-zone status. If you discover a serious concealed defect after closing, document everything and consult a real estate attorney promptly, since claims have deadlines.

How fast can a foreclosure happen in Texas, and what can I do?

Texas has one of the fastest foreclosure processes in the country because most home foreclosures are non-judicial — the lender doesn't have to file a lawsuit or get a court order. For a typical mortgage with a deed of trust, after you fall behind, the lender (through the mortgage servicer) must send required notices: generally a notice of default with an opportunity to cure (commonly at least 20 days), followed by a notice of sale at least 21 days before the sale. Texas foreclosure sales happen on the first Tuesday of each month at the county courthouse. That means from the required notices to sale can be a matter of weeks, so if you're behind on your mortgage, act quickly. Options include applying for loss-mitigation or a loan modification with your servicer (federal mortgage-servicing rules give some protection against "dual tracking" foreclosure while a complete loss-mitigation application is pending), reinstating the loan by paying the arrears, refinancing, or selling the home before the sale (San Antonio's rising values mean many owners have equity to protect). Home-equity loans have special constitutional protections and generally require a court order to foreclose. If you're facing foreclosure, contact a HUD-approved housing counselor or Texas RioGrande Legal Aid right away — the compressed Texas timeline leaves little room to wait.

Is my Bexar County home in a flood zone, and do I need flood insurance?

Flood risk is a real consideration in Bexar County. San Antonio and the surrounding Hill Country have significant flash-flood exposure — the region's geography and intense rain events produce dangerous flooding at creeks and low-water crossings, and areas along waterways like the San Antonio River, Salado Creek, Leon Creek, and others can flood. Standard homeowners insurance in Texas (as everywhere) excludes flood damage entirely; flood coverage comes separately through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private flood insurer. If your property is in a FEMA-mapped Special Flood Hazard Area and you have a federally backed mortgage, your lender generally requires flood insurance; but even outside mapped high-risk zones, San Antonio's flash-flood history means flood coverage can be worth considering, and premiums outside high-risk zones are lower. Texas's Seller's Disclosure Notice (Property Code §5.008) requires sellers to disclose known flooding and flood-related information, and there are specific flood-disclosure requirements for landlords of properties that have flooded. Before buying, check the property's flood-zone designation (through FEMA's flood map service or a professional), ask about any flooding history, and get a flood-insurance quote. Because flood maps and risk change over time, don't assume a property is safe just because it isn't in a currently mapped high-risk zone.

Real Estate Law in Bexar County, Texas

Bexar County, Texas Real Estate Law: where the local signals that move the matter faster meets county records in the early record

A place-specific real estate law guide for Bexar County, Texas centered on county records, contract notice, before deadlines compress, and practical follow-through.

Reviewed January 2026 3 min read Official-source grounded Ver en Espanol En Español

Key Takeaways

No state income tax but relatively high property taxes — protest your Bexar Appraisal District value (generally by mid-May) and file the homestead exemption
Texas homestead protections are among the nation’s strongest: they cut taxable value, cap homestead appraisal increases (~10%/yr), and shield the home from most creditors
Sellers must give a written Seller’s Disclosure Notice (Property Code §5.008); the TREC contract’s option period is the buyer’s main investigation tool
Texas has NO rent control and bans local rent control (Loc. Gov. Code §214.902); Chapter 92 still protects deposits, repairs, and against illegal lockouts
Foreclosure is non-judicial and fast — sales occur the first Tuesday of the month with as little as 21 days’ notice; act quickly on loss mitigation
San Antonio has serious flash-flood risk; standard policies exclude flood — consider separate NFIP coverage and check flood-zone/flood-history disclosures

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels

Real estate in Bexar County reflects San Antonio's rapid growth into one of the largest cities in the country, and Texas property law differs from many states in ways that matter to buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants. Property records are maintained by the Bexar County Clerk (100 Dolorosa; 210-335-2216), and property is appraised for taxes by the Bexar Appraisal District. Texas has no state income tax, but it funds government substantially through property taxes, which are relatively high — making the annual appraisal and the right to protest your property's appraised value (before the Appraisal Review Board, generally by mid-May each year) an important, recurring issue for Bexar County homeowners, and a reason many owners protest their valuations every year.

Texas offers some of the strongest homestead protections in the country. The Texas homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of an owner-occupied primary residence (with additional exemptions for those 65 and older and for disabled homeowners), and — separately and powerfully — the Texas Constitution protects a homestead from forced sale by most creditors, meaning general creditors generally cannot take your home to satisfy debts (with exceptions for the mortgage, property taxes, home-improvement and home-equity loans, and a few others). These protections shape everything from estate planning to how debts are collected. When you buy, filing for the homestead exemption with the Bexar Appraisal District is an important step many new owners overlook.

Texas seller-disclosure law requires a seller of residential property (with exceptions) to give the buyer a written Seller's Disclosure Notice describing the property's known condition and defects under Texas Property Code §5.008. A seller who fails to disclose known material defects, or who misrepresents the condition, can face liability, and a buyer who later discovers a concealed defect may have claims. Most Texas home sales use the standard forms promulgated by the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC), and the standard contract gives the buyer an option period — a short negotiated window (often a week or so) during which the buyer can terminate for any reason after paying an option fee — the main tool for investigating the property before fully committing.

Landlord-tenant law is governed by Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code. Importantly, Texas does not have rent control, and state law actually prohibits cities from enacting local rent control except in a narrow housing-emergency situation declared with the governor's approval (Tex. Loc. Gov. Code §214.902) — so, unlike some states, San Antonio tenants have no local rent caps, and rent increases at lease renewal are generally unrestricted. Texas landlord-tenant law does provide specific protections: rules on security-deposit return (generally within 30 days, with an itemized list of deductions), a landlord's duty to make certain repairs affecting health and safety after proper written notice, and remedies for lockouts and utility shutoffs. Evictions ("forcible entry and detainer") move quickly through the justice of the peace courts, so a tenant facing eviction should respond and appear promptly.

Foreclosure in Texas is typically non-judicial and fast: for a standard mortgage, the lender can foreclose without going to court, and after proper notices, the foreclosure sale occurs on the first Tuesday of the month, with as little as 21 days' notice of the sale — one of the shorter foreclosure timelines in the country. Home-equity loans have special constitutional protections and procedures. Foothill-and-flood dynamics matter too: San Antonio has significant flash-flood risk in certain creek and low-water-crossing areas, so flood-zone status (and separate flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program) is an important disclosure and purchase consideration. For income-qualifying residents, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and the St. Mary's legal clinics assist with landlord-tenant, foreclosure, and property matters, and the San Antonio Bar LawReferral Service (210-227-1853) refers to real estate attorneys.

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