San Antonio, TX Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)
Just cause eviction rules in San Antonio, TX, sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances, list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Key Facts
- Local Ordinance
- None: state law governs
- Month-to-Month Termination
- 30-day notice, no cause required (§ 91.001)
- Notice to Vacate
- 3 days minimum, Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005
- Retaliation Window
- 6 months from protected act (§ 92.331)
- Eviction Court
- Bexar County Justice of the Peace court
Summary
San Antonio has NO local just-cause eviction ordinance. Texas is a no-cause termination state under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001: a month-to-month tenancy may be ended by either party on 30 days' written notice without stating a reason. Fixed-term leases may be terminated for breach under Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 24.
(a) If the occupant is a tenant under a written lease or oral rental agreement, the landlord must give a tenant who defaults or holds over beyond the end of the rental term or renewal period at least three days' written notice to vacate the premises before the landlord files a forcible detainer suit, unless the parties have contracted for a shorter or longer notice period in a written lease or agreement.
Full Breakdown
Texas does not require landlords to articulate or prove just cause to end a month-to-month tenancy. Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001 says either party may terminate on notice and the tenancy ends on the later of the date in the notice or one month after notice is given. For fixed-term leases the landlord must wait until expiration unless the tenant breaches, then issue a three-day notice to vacate under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005 before suing in justice court. Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331 bars retaliatory evictions filed within six months of a protected tenant act such as a repair request, code complaint, or participation in a tenant organization (limited exceptions in § 92.332).
Violations & Fines
There is no San Antonio city forum for enforcing just-cause grounds. A tenant may raise retaliation as an affirmative defense in the justice-court forcible-detainer suit and may sue under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.333 for one month's rent plus $500, actual damages, court costs, and attorney fees. Wrongful lockouts trigger one month's rent plus $1,000 under § 92.0081.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Antonio require just cause to evict?
How much notice must a San Antonio landlord give to end a month-to-month tenancy?
What if my San Antonio landlord evicts me after a code complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
Texas rules heatmap·Compare San Antonio to another location·View the Texas rental property rules overview
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Just Cause Eviction in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bexar County handle just cause eviction.