Bexar County, TX Rental Property Rules: Source-of-Income Discrimination (2026)
Key Facts
- Local protection
- Not allowed
- Preempting statute
- TX Loc Govt 250.007
- Voucher administrator
- SAHA
- Federal coverage
- Limited
Summary
Bexar County does not prohibit landlords from refusing Section 8 housing choice vouchers or other income sources. Texas Local Government Code 250.007 preempts cities and counties from passing source-of-income protections.
Sec. 250.007. REGULATION OF RENTAL OR LEASING OF HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS. (a) Except as provided by this section, a municipality or county may not adopt or enforce an ordinance or regulation that prohibits an owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, or other person having the right to lease, sublease, or rent a housing accommodation from refusing to lease or rent the housing accommodation to a person because the person's lawful source of income to pay rent includes funding from a federal housing assistance program. (b) This section does not affect an ordinance or regulation that prohibits the refusal to lease or rent a housing accommodation to a military veteran because of the veteran's lawful source of income to pay rent.
Full Breakdown
Texas explicitly bars local governments from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination through Local Government Code 250.007, enacted in 2015 in response to several city ordinances. This means Bexar County cannot require landlords to accept Section 8 vouchers, VASH veteran vouchers, child support payments, or Social Security income as valid rent sources. Federal fair housing law protects against discrimination tied to race, sex, disability, or familial status, but income source itself is not protected. Voucher holders in Bexar County must search among landlords who voluntarily participate in the SAHA (San Antonio Housing Authority) Housing Choice Voucher program, which serves the entire county.
Violations & Fines
No local penalties. Landlords are legally permitted to advertise no-Section 8 policies. Federal disability and familial-status protections still apply where source-of-income discrimination disproportionately affects protected groups.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Bexar County landlord refuse my Section 8 voucher?
How do I find voucher-friendly landlords?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bexar County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Bexar County to another location·View the Texas rental property rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.