San Antonio apartment property taxes are the product of two separate decisions: the Bexar Central Appraisal District sets a market value as of January 1, and roughly half a dozen local taxing units each apply their own rate to that value. Because Texas has no state property tax, those local levies are among the largest operating expenses on a typical apartment building, and the appraisal is the part an owner can most directly influence.
This article explains how apartment buildings in San Antonio are appraised, which taxing units appear on the bill, how the protest and appeal process works, how the temporary 20% appraisal cap on smaller commercial properties operates, and the payment calendar that follows.
San Antonio and Bexar County at a glance
San Antonio is the seat of Bexar County, which was created on December 22, 1836, “with San Antonio as its County Seat,” according to Bexar County’s history page. It is also one of the country’s largest renter markets. The Census Bureau’s QuickFacts for San Antonio report:
- 1,434,625 residents in the 2020 Census and an estimated 1,548,422 on July 1, 2025.
- An owner-occupied housing rate of 52.2% for 2020–2024, meaning nearly half of households rent.
- A median gross rent of $1,324 a month for 2020–2024.
With that many renter households, the appraisal district handles a very large inventory of income-producing property every year, and the scale of the system shapes how owners should approach it.
Who sets the value, and when
The Bexar Central Appraisal District (BCAD) appraises property for every taxing unit in the county. In a May 2026 notice, BCAD said it appraises “more than 797,000 properties across Bexar County,” and that filing a protest or an exemption application is free. The district does not set tax rates and does not collect taxes; those jobs belong to the taxing units and the county tax assessor-collector.
The valuation date is fixed by statute. Texas Tax Code § 23.01(a) says “all taxable property is appraised at its market value as of January 1.” A building that was half-vacant on January 1 during a renovation, or one that sold in March for a higher price, is appraised based on its condition and market as of that January date.
BCAD mails notices of appraised value in the spring. On April 10, 2026, the district said it was mailing notices that week to about 196,000 owners whose values had changed by more than $1,000, after reviewing more than 734,000 properties. An owner whose value did not change may not receive a notice at all, which makes it important to check the account on BCAD’s property search rather than wait for mail.
How an apartment building’s value is set
Texas law does not dictate a single appraisal method for apartments. Tax Code § 23.0101 directs the chief appraiser to “consider the cost, income, and market data comparison methods of appraisal and use the most appropriate method.” For stabilized multifamily property, the income approach is usually the most relevant, and § 23.012 spells out what it involves when it is used:
- Analyzing comparable rental data or the property’s potential earnings to estimate gross income potential.
- Analyzing comparable operating expenses to arrive at net operating income.
- Applying capitalization or discount rates drawn from the market to convert that income into value.
The full wording is in Chapter 23 of the Texas Tax Code. In practice, an appraisal district working at BCAD’s scale relies on mass-appraisal models that assign typical rents, vacancy, expenses and cap rates to groups of similar buildings. That is where differences between the model and a specific property, such as deferred maintenance, below-market rents on long-term leases, higher-than-typical vacancy or an unusual unit mix, become the basis for a protest.
Where a model and a building can diverge
Mass appraisal works well for typical properties and less well for outliers. Older San Antonio apartment buildings are often the outliers: a 1970s or 1980s complex with original plumbing, a roof near the end of its life or foundation movement can carry operating and capital costs that a group model does not capture. The same is true on the income side. A building leased to long-term residents at rents below the submarket average, or one with a large share of units offline for renovation on January 1, produces less income than a model built on typical rents assumes.
None of this guarantees a lower value, but it is the kind of property-specific evidence that an appraiser or the ARB can weigh. Owners who track these issues during the year, rather than reconstructing them in May, are in a much stronger position.
Rendition: what owners must report
Texas separates real property from business personal property for reporting purposes. Under Tax Code § 22.01, a person “shall render” all tangible personal property used for the production of income, while property not covered by that requirement, including the real estate itself, “may” be rendered. The rendition deadline is April 15, and the penalty for a late rendition is 10% of the total taxes imposed on the property.
For an apartment owner, the personal property side typically includes items such as appliances, furniture in common areas, fitness equipment and maintenance tools. Tax Code § 11.145 currently exempts $125,000 of the appraised value of tangible personal property held or used for the production of income. Many smaller apartment owners will fall under that threshold, so it is worth confirming how the exemption applies to a particular account.
The taxing units on a San Antonio bill
A San Antonio apartment owner pays the city, the county, the hospital district, the community college district, the river authority and a school district, plus any special district that covers the parcel. The Bexar County Truth-in-Taxation summary lists adopted rates for each taxing unit. The 2025 tax-year rates, per $100 of taxable value, were:
- City of San Antonio: 0.541590
- Bexar County: 0.299999
- University Health (the Bexar County Hospital District): 0.276235
- Alamo Community College District: 0.149150
- San Antonio River Authority: 0.018300
- Northside ISD: 1.004900
- North East ISD: 0.982200
- San Antonio ISD: 1.155200
The school district is the largest single line, which means two buildings with identical values a few miles apart can carry noticeably different bills. Adding the 2025 rates above, a property in Northside ISD faced a combined rate of about 2.29 per $100, one in North East ISD about 2.27, and one in San Antonio ISD about 2.44. Parcels inside public improvement districts, emergency services districts or other special districts carry additional levies, so the actual account statement is the only reliable total.
To put those rates in dollar terms, a building appraised at $4 million in Northside ISD would have owed roughly $91,600 at the 2025 combined rate, before any special district levy. The same value in San Antonio ISD would have produced about $97,600. Tax bills for the 2026 tax year began mailing in October 2026 and reflect each unit’s 2026 adopted rate, which owners should confirm on their statements.
The 20% cap on smaller apartment buildings
How the circuit breaker works
Texas added a temporary limit on appraisal increases for non-homestead real property in 2023. Under Tax Code § 23.231, the appraised value of qualifying property cannot rise more than 20% above its appraised value for the preceding tax year. The cap only applies to property valued at or below an indexed threshold. The Texas Comptroller’s January 2026 property tax newsletter states that for the 2026 tax year, the limitation applies to non-homestead real property “valued at $5,320,000 or less.”
A simple example shows how it works. Suppose a 40-unit building was appraised at $3.0 million for 2025 and BCAD’s 2026 market value comes in at $3.9 million. Because the 2026 market value is under the threshold, the taxable appraised value is capped at $3.6 million, which is the 2025 value plus 20%. The owner pays taxes on $3.6 million, though the notice will still show the $3.9 million market value.
What to watch for in 2027
The statute contains its own sunset. Section 23.231 says, “This section expires December 31, 2026.” Unless the Legislature extends it, buildings that have been held below market value by the cap could see their taxable value move to full market value in 2027. Owners of smaller and mid-size San Antonio apartment buildings should compare the market value and the capped value on their 2026 notices now, because the gap between them is a rough measure of the potential increase in taxable value if the cap ends as written.
Protest deadlines and appeal routes for San Antonio apartment property taxes
Filing the protest
The protest deadline is set in Tax Code § 41.44: an owner must file “not later than May 15 or the 30th day after the date that notice … was delivered … whichever is later.” BCAD noted in 2026 that owners “do not need to have received an appraisal notice … in order to protest,” and that protests sent by mail count if they are postmarked by May 15. BCAD’s 2026 protest deadline announcement describes the filing options.
A protest on an apartment building usually succeeds or fails on documentation. Useful evidence includes:
- A current rent roll showing actual in-place rents and occupancy as of January 1.
- Trailing operating statements, especially where insurance, payroll or utility costs exceed typical levels.
- Photos, bids or engineering reports documenting deferred maintenance or capital needs.
- Sales of comparable buildings, recognizing that appraisal districts and owners often reach different conclusions on comparability.
If a protest is not settled with the appraisal district’s staff, it goes to the Appraisal Review Board (ARB), a panel separate from the appraisal staff, which hears the case and issues an order.
After the Appraisal Review Board
The Comptroller’s guide to property tax protests and appeals lists three routes for owners who disagree with an ARB order:
- District court: file a petition within 60 days of receiving the ARB order, and pay the undisputed portion of the tax before the delinquency date.
- Binding arbitration: available for property appraised at $5 million or less (or any residence homestead), requested through the Comptroller within 60 days with a deposit.
- State Office of Administrative Hearings: available when the ARB-determined value exceeds $1 million.
For many San Antonio apartment owners, the $5 million arbitration limit and the $1 million SOAH threshold together determine which path is practical, since litigation costs can outweigh the tax at stake on a smaller property.
Paying the bill and avoiding penalties
The Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector collects for the taxing units. Its 2026 property tax calendar shows that 2026 statements began mailing in October 2026 and that January 31, 2027 is the last day to pay the full 2026 bill without penalty and interest. The office also offers a half-payment option open to all property owners, including businesses: half by November 30, 2026, and the other half by June 30, 2027.
Late payment is expensive. Under Tax Code § 33.01, the penalty is 6% for the first calendar month of delinquency plus 1% for each additional month before July 1, reaching a total penalty of 12% on July 1. Interest adds 1% for each month. Bexar County’s schedule shows the combined penalty and interest at 7% in February, 9% in March, 18% in July and 23% in December. An additional collection penalty of 15% to 20% can be added starting in July.
Put together, a single tax year for a San Antonio apartment building runs on a long timeline:
- January 1: the building is valued as of this date.
- April 15: the deadline to render business personal property.
- April and May: BCAD mails notices of appraised value to owners whose values changed.
- May 15, or 30 days after the notice if later: the protest deadline.
- Before statements go out: each taxing unit adopts its rate for the year.
- October: tax statements begin mailing.
- January 31 of the following year: the last day to pay without penalty and interest.
For owners who escrow taxes through a lender, the servicer usually pays by January 31. Owners who pay directly should treat the January deadline as fixed and plan cash reserves around it, since a single month late on a six-figure bill costs thousands of dollars.
Tax exemptions in the apartment market
Some San Antonio apartment complexes pay little or no property tax because they are owned through public entities. Under changes made by HB 2071 in 2023, Local Government Code § 303.0421 requires public facility corporation (PFC) developments covered by the law to reserve at least 10% of units for households at or below 60% of area median income and at least 40% for households at or below 80% of area median income to qualify for the exemption.
In 2025, the Legislature passed HB 21, “relating to housing finance corporations,” which took effect immediately when signed on May 28, 2025, and tightened the rules for a related ownership structure. For owners of conventional, fully taxable buildings, these exemptions matter mainly as competition: an exempt property can carry a materially lower expense load, which affects the rents and concessions it can offer nearby.
What this means for San Antonio owners
San Antonio apartment property taxes reward owners who treat the annual appraisal as an operating task rather than a bill to be paid. A few habits keep the process manageable:
- Check the BCAD account each spring, whether or not a notice arrives, and calendar May 15 as the default protest deadline.
- Keep a January 1 rent roll and the prior year’s operating statements ready to support a protest.
- Track the gap between market value and capped value under the 20% circuit breaker before it expires at the end of 2026.
- Confirm which school district and any special districts cover each parcel, because they drive most of the rate difference between buildings.
- Plan for the January 31 payment deadline or enroll in the half-payment option.
Taxes also play directly into value. Because buyers capitalize net operating income, every dollar of tax expense reduces what a building is worth, and a buyer’s underwriting will often assume a reappraisal after the sale. Our overview of rent control and property tax by state puts Texas in national context. Owners thinking about timing can review our page on selling an apartment building in San Antonio, and our Texas market overview covers other cities statewide.
