Investment Property Loans in San Antonio, TX

San Antonio's Development Services lists two short-term rental permits: Type 1 for owner- or operator-occupied homes at $450 and Type 2 for non-occupied homes at $1,000, plus an 8% surcharge, each valid three years.

For investors: The Type 2 fee is up from $450 under the 2024 ordinance, so budget about $1,080 per unit for each three-year cycle. Permits do not pass to a new owner, so a San Antonio buyer applies again after closing; the city says complete applications issue within five business days.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, STR Permits (same fees in the FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule, revised September 2026), Oct 2026

San Antonio limits Type 2 permits to one-eighth (12.5%) of the one-to-four-unit homes on a blockface, rounding down but allowing at least one; buildings of five to seven units get one.

For investors: On a San Antonio blockface of 14 houses, 12.5% works out to 1.75, so only one Type 2 permit fits; buildings of eight or more units get one-eighth of their units. Ask Development Services how many Type 2 permits already exist on the block before you offer.

Source: San Antonio Unified Development Code, Sec. 35-374.01(c) and Table 374.01-1, Oct 2026

Once a blockface reaches its cap, a new Type 2 permit needs a Board of Adjustment special exception; the city lists that application at $460 for homestead properties and $690 for all others, plus 8%.

For investors: A special exception goes to a public Board of Adjustment hearing, so approval is never certain and the fee is spent either way. On a capped San Antonio block, value the house on long-term rent and count any nightly income as upside.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, STR Permits (Board of Adjustment filing fees match the FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule), Oct 2026

San Antonio's permit page lists the C-3, L, I-1 and I-2 zoning districts as places where short-term rentals are not allowed, and applications need a floor plan showing guest limits and off-street parking.

For investors: A unit in one of those four districts cannot be permitted however it is run, so confirm the parcel's base zoning before buying for nightly use. Sketch where guests will park early, because the plan must show off-street spaces as well as sleeping areas and extinguishers.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, STR Permits, Oct 2026

San Antonio short-term rentals must report hotel occupancy tax every month, even at zero: 9% for the city and 1.75% for Bexar County, on top of the state tax.

For investors: Adding the state's 6%, guests in San Antonio pay 16.75% in combined hotel tax, worth reflecting in nightly pricing. Keep a filing calendar for every permitted unit, since a month with no bookings still needs its own report.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, Short Term Rentals, Oct 2026

San Antonio enforces only public zoning and development law, not HOA covenants or deed restrictions, so checking private restrictions before opening a short-term rental is the owner's job.

For investors: A city permit does not protect a San Antonio host from an HOA that bans nightly rentals, and the HOA can pursue the owner directly. Read the declaration and any rental amendments during the option period, before relying on short-stay income.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, Short Term Rentals, Oct 2026

San Antonio allows one ADU per lot in R-1 through R-6 and RM-4 to RM-6 districts, up to 800 square feet or half the main house, capped at 1,600, with no bedroom limit.

For investors: Because the size cap is the larger of 800 square feet or half the house, even a small San Antonio bungalow can add an 800-square-foot unit. With no bedroom limit, a two-bedroom ADU is allowed wherever setbacks and lot coverage leave room for it.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, Accessory Dwelling Unit Permits, Oct 2026

A San Antonio ADU requires the owner to live in the main house or the ADU under a recorded affidavit; a non-owner-occupied property must be rezoned to allow more than one dwelling unit.

For investors: That makes an ADU in San Antonio a live-on-site strategy rather than a pure investor play. The affidavit goes into Bexar County's public records, so a later buyer inherits the occupancy condition unless the lot is rezoned for more units.

Source: City of San Antonio Development Services, Accessory Dwelling Unit Permits, Oct 2026

San Antonio's property tax rate for fiscal 2027 is 56.288 cents per $100, with 35.138 cents for operations and 21.150 cents for debt service.

For investors: The Comptroller's 2025 file shows 54.159 cents for the prior year, so on a $300,000 San Antonio rental the city line rises from about $1,625 to $1,689. County, school and other levies sit on top, so pull the parcel's full entity list.

Source: City of San Antonio Finance, Tax Rate Summary, Oct 2026

Bexar County kept its property tax rate at $0.299999 per $100 in its fiscal 2026-27 budget, approved September 15, 2026, even as countywide taxable values fell 1.3%.

For investors: With the county rate flat, the county line on a San Antonio rental's bill now moves only with that parcel's appraised value. Countywide values fell this year, so a rental whose own appraisal rose deserves a closer look at the next appraisal notice.

Source: Bexar County Public Information Office, news release of September 15, 2026, Sep 2026

San Antonio has been a Class 6 community in FEMA's Community Rating System since October 1, 2022, which gives eligible flood policies in the city a 20% premium discount.

For investors: Flood exposure in San Antonio follows creeks and low-water crossings rather than a coastline. Price a flood policy during the option period for any rental near a drainage channel, and check that the 20% city discount shows on the quote.

Source: FEMA, CRS Eligible Communities list (effective October 1, 2026), Oct 2026

Joint Base San Antonio, which the city calls the Defense Department's largest and most diverse joint base, spans Fort Sam Houston, Lackland, Randolph and Camp Bullis, with about 70,000 members.

For investors: Lackland trains up to 80,000 students a year and Fort Sam Houston hosts Brooke Army Medical Center. That mix brings steady demand for San Antonio rentals near the gates, including furnished stays of 30 days or more for training and medical rotations.

Source: City of San Antonio Military and Veteran Affairs, Military Installations, Oct 2026