Economics
What does a normal year produce after vacancy, repairs, capital replacements, management, administration, and time?
For Bexar County rental owners
You can be done with landlording. First, know what “done” means.
A private decision center for measuring the real economics, catching deferred obligations, pricing delegation, and planning a lawful, tenant-respecting transition.
No account No tenant data requested No sales gate
Audit honestlyCash flow, reserves, time, and frictionProtect the tenancyLease, repairs, deposits, access, and noticesPrice delegationScope and standards, not percentage aloneCompare exitsTenant-in-place, future vacancy, repair, or as-is
The decision reset
Separate a bad month from a broken ownership model.
One repair or difficult conversation can make any owner want out. A durable decision examines money, condition, systems, capacity, tenant obligations, and desire separately.
Condition
What is currently owed to the property and tenant—not what can be postponed until a sale?
Systems
Are lease, ledger, deposits, inspections, vendors, notices, accounting, and emergency response organized?
Capacity
Can and do you want to manage decisions, people, uncertainty, and capital from where you live?
Obligations
What does the lease, Texas law, local code, fair housing, insurance, and any assistance program require?
Intent
Would you keep the property if the work were delegated, or is the investment no longer aligned with your life?
Interactive tool 01
The true rental cost audit.
Use a normal-year reserve, not one unusually quiet month. Every example is editable and stays in this browser.
Private worksheetNo account or submission.
Planning model, not tax accounting. It excludes income taxes, depreciation, appreciation, financing changes, sale costs, major uninsured loss, and legal outcomes. Confirm lease, property, and tax facts with qualified professionals.
Tenant-respecting economics
Tenant obligations are part of the asset—not an inconvenience beside it.
A lease, repair request, deposit, lawful occupancy, accommodation, code issue, or assistance-program contract can shape timing, cost, access, communications, and buyer options.
Repair and safety
Texas law imposes repair duties in defined circumstances; local property-maintenance standards also apply.
Access and quiet enjoyment
Use the lease and law. Coordinate respectfully; do not enter, show, inspect, or photograph possessions casually.
Lease and ledger
Know term, renewal, notices, rent, concessions, arrears, deposits, occupants, pets, utilities, and amendments.
No pressure
Do not harass, threaten, shut off utilities, lock out, misrepresent rights, or demand a move outside lawful process.
Interactive tool 02
Deferred-maintenance + turnover estimator
Separate known scope, uncertainty, and rent downtime before deciding whether to reinvest, delegate, or exit.
Planning requirement$7,407
Estimate only. Obtain inspections and comparable written scopes; do not defer conditions affecting tenant health or safety while evaluating options.Known scope $5,000Contingency $750Rent downtime $1,657
Interactive tool 03
Is the answer reinvest, delegate, or transition?
A directional check—not a verdict. Stabilize tenant safety and legal obligations regardless of the economic path.
Responsible transition map
Choose the operating path before choosing the transaction.
Stabilize + keep
Resolve urgent repairs, fund reserves, organize records and vendors, improve communications, then measure a normal year.
Best questionWould the property still fit if it ran well?Delegate
Hire management against a written scope and service standard, recalculate cash flow, and set a 90-day performance review.
Best questionDoes delegation solve the real problem?Sell tenant-in-place
Requires accurate lease, ledger, deposit, repair, notice, access, disclosure, title, and buyer-plan coordination.
Best questionWho is a credible buyer for this actual tenancy?Plan for future vacancy
Use lawful lease-end or tenant-agreed timing, then compare turnover, repair, listing, and current-condition economics.
Best questionWhat is the real cost of reaching vacancy?A property decision is not an eviction strategy. If rent, possession, lease termination, nonrenewal, access, accommodation, repair remedies, or eviction is disputed, use qualified Texas legal counsel. Do not rely on a buyer, contractor, online script, or this website for legal process.
Official landlord desk
Use current law and responsible local help.
This private resource does not represent a tenant, landlord, court, housing program, or government agency.
Texas Property Code Chapter 92Current official residential-tenancy statutesSan Antonio rental-provider resourcesFree workshops, maintenance, applications, relationships, and local ordinancesSan Antonio property maintenanceLocal maintenance standards and owner resourcesTexas fair-housing resourcesState housing agency education and complaint pathwaysTexas State Law Library research guideLandlord-tenant law and eviction research resourcesTexas legal-aid directoryHousing and landlord-tenant legal information and referralsSan Antonio tenant/landlord mediationLocal mediation resource linked by the CityBexar County official public recordsDeeds, liens, and recorded property documents
Health, safety, and lawful occupancy come first.
Call 911 for fire, gas odor, medical danger, violence, or immediate threat to life. Respond promptly to sewage, active flooding, loss of essential service, structural, electrical, fire, security, or other serious conditions using qualified help.
Rental decision questions
Straight answers without shortcuts.
Lease language and current law control. Use these answers to identify the next professional or official question.
Can I sell a Bexar County house while it is tenant occupied?
Often a rental can be sold while occupied, but the lease, access provisions, notices, deposit responsibility, disclosures, financing, buyer plan, and tenant rights matter. A sale generally does not erase a valid lease. Get property-specific legal and title guidance.
Does a new owner become responsible for the security deposit?
Texas Property Code Section 92.105 addresses cessation of an owner's interest. It generally makes the new owner responsible from acquisition and requires a signed statement to the tenant acknowledging acquisition and the exact deposit amount, with important details and exceptions. Handle deposits in the contract and closing process.
Can I delay repairs while deciding whether to sell?
Do not defer conditions that trigger landlord repair duties or materially affect health or safety. Texas Property Code Chapter 92 and the lease govern. Preserve notices, respond promptly, use qualified contractors, and obtain legal guidance when duties or remedies are disputed.
Can I make the tenant leave because I want to sell?
Do not use pressure, lockouts, utility interruption, harassment, or self-help. Lease termination, nonrenewal, and eviction require lawful grounds and procedures. Review the lease and current law with a qualified Texas landlord-tenant attorney.
How should I value my own time?
Use an hourly value that reflects what the work displaces—not an inflated consulting rate. Include calls, travel, coordination, bookkeeping, leasing, notices, inspections, emergencies, and emotional load. The tool shows cash flow both before and after owner time.
Is property management worth the fee?
Compare the full scope, not just the percentage: leasing, screening, rent collection, accounting, repair coordination, inspections, emergency response, notices, renewals, compliance, and communication. Recalculate cash flow after management and reserves.
Should I repair before selling?
Compare the credible net gain after scope, contingency, permits, downtime, carrying cost, project oversight, agent fees, concessions, and sale costs against a current-condition path. Major tenant safety obligations remain regardless.
What documents should be ready before a transition?
Lease and amendments, tenant ledger, deposit amount and location, notices, repair requests, inspections, invoices, warranties, permits, utilities, insurance, tax and loan data, vendor contracts, keys, and documented tenant communications.
One honest number
Start the cost audit Audit the rental before making it somebody else's decision.
Measure the property, protect the tenant, and then compare reinvestment, delegation, and transition.