Pet Policies for San Antonio Rentals: Fees, Restrictions, and the Assistance Animal Rules You Can't Ignore

Pet policy is where new San Antonio landlords quietly lose money. Either they blanket-ban animals and watch the unit sit vacant, or they say "pets OK, $300 deposit" in the listing and end up with an untrained Rottweiler, a torn-out sliding door, and a landlord insurance policy that just refused a claim because of the breed. The fix is a written pet addendum, a real screening process for the animal, and a clear understanding that a properly documented assistance animal is not a pet under federal law.

RentInSA's active listings show a median asking rent of $1,700/mo across roughly 4,700 available units as of September 2026. In a market that deep, pet-restrictive listings compete against thousands of pet-friendly alternatives — but pet-friendly done sloppily costs more than the extra rent it brings in.

The three types of pet charges Texas allows

Texas Property Code does not have a separate pet-deposit statute. Anything you collect for a pet falls under the general security deposit rules in § 92.101–92.109, which means how you label it in the lease controls how you can use it and whether you have to give it back.

• Refundable pet deposit. Treated like the rest of the security deposit. You must account for it within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the unit and provides a forwarding address (§ 92.103). If you keep any of it, you owe an itemized list of deductions.
• Nonrefundable pet fee. Legal in Texas if the lease clearly says "nonrefundable." TAA's residential lease and most attorney-drafted forms distinguish this on its own line. Do not call it a "deposit" if you intend to keep it — courts read ambiguity against the drafter.
• Monthly pet rent. Added to base rent, typically $20–$50 per pet per month in Bexar County. This is the cleanest structure because it compensates you for ongoing wear rather than sitting in escrow.

A reasonable San Antonio structure for a single dog under 40 lbs in a $1,695 three-bedroom: $250 nonrefundable pet fee plus $25/mo pet rent, with the general security deposit unchanged. Two pets, two pet-rent lines.

Assistance animals are not pets

This is the single biggest liability trap for first-year landlords. Under the federal Fair Housing Act and HUD's January 2020 assistance animal guidance (FHEO-2020-01), an assistance animal — either a service animal under the ADA or an emotional support animal under the FHA — is a reasonable accommodation, not a pet. That means:

• No pet deposit, no pet fee, no monthly pet rent.
• No breed restriction and no weight limit.
• No "no pets" policy applied to the animal.
• No requirement that the animal be professionally trained (ADA service dogs excepted, and even then you don't get to demand certification papers).

You can still charge the tenant for actual damage the animal causes, out of the regular security deposit. What you cannot do is charge upfront because the animal exists.

What you can ask for

If the disability or the disability-related need for the animal is not obvious, you may request "reliable documentation" — typically a letter from a licensed healthcare provider who has an actual treatment relationship with the tenant. You cannot demand medical records, a specific diagnosis, or a particular form. Online "ESA certificates" from sites that sell a letter after a five-minute questionnaire are, per HUD's 2020 guidance, generally not reliable documentation, and you can push back — carefully, in writing, and ideally after a call to a Texas real-estate attorney if the tenant escalates.

Denying a legitimate accommodation request is how you end up with a HUD complaint and a Texas Workforce Commission Civil Rights Division investigation. Neither is cheap.

Your insurance policy probably has a breed list

Before you write your pet policy, pull your landlord (dwelling fire, DP-3) policy and read the liability exclusions. Most carriers writing in Bexar County exclude or surcharge some combination of Pit Bull / American Staffordshire Terrier, Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepherd, Chow Chow, Akita, Presa Canario, and wolf hybrids. A few exclude any dog with a prior bite history regardless of breed.

If your policy excludes a breed and you rent to a tenant with that breed anyway, a bite claim is coming out of your pocket, not the insurer's. Two clean options: match your lease breed restriction to your policy's exclusion list, or shop a carrier that doesn't restrict by breed (they exist — expect to pay more). Whatever you do, do not restrict breeds you don't actually need to restrict; broad breed bans reduce your applicant pool without reducing your risk.

Note again: insurance-based breed restrictions do not apply to assistance animals. If your insurer refuses to cover an assistance animal on the property, HUD's position is that the landlord must still accommodate and should shop for a different carrier.

San Antonio and HOA layers on top

The City of San Antonio does not ban any breed. Chapter 5 of the city code covers Animal Care Services requirements — current rabies vaccination, registration, and a separate "dangerous dog" designation process triggered by a serious bite incident. Any dog on your property should have a current rabies tag; ask for a copy of the certificate at move-in.

HOAs are the wildcard. Deed-restricted communities in Stone Oak (78258), Alamo Ranch (78253), Cibolo, and parts of Schertz frequently restrict breed, number of animals, or weight. If your rental is in an HOA, pull the CC&Rs before you write your listing. A tenant who signs a lease allowing two large dogs and then gets a violation letter from the HOA is your problem, not theirs.

Screening the pet like you screen the tenant

Collect this with the application:

• Photo of each animal (rules out the "medium mixed breed" that turns out to be 90 lbs).
• Breed, weight, age, spayed/neutered status.
• Proof of current rabies vaccination and city registration.
• Prior landlord reference specifically about the animal — not just the tenant.
• For any animal presented as an assistance animal, a written reasonable accommodation request and supporting documentation as described above.

Meet the dog if you can. A five-minute showing tells you more than a paragraph on an application.

The pet addendum

Do not bury pet terms in the main lease body. Use a separate signed addendum that names each animal (breed, weight, color, vet), states the fee/deposit/rent structure, requires the tenant to keep the animal current on rabies and city registration, requires immediate cleanup in common areas, prohibits replacement or additional animals without written consent, and gives you the right to require removal if the animal becomes a documented nuisance or bite risk. TAA members can use the association's Animal Addendum; attorney-drafted alternatives are fine as long as they cover the same ground.

What most people get wrong

• Charging a pet deposit for an assistance animal. Illegal under the FHA. Refund it and correct the lease before the tenant files a complaint.
• Calling a nonrefundable fee a "pet deposit." Ambiguous language costs you the deduction fight in JP court. Label it "nonrefundable pet fee" in plain English on its own line.
• Breed-banning to match nothing. If your insurance doesn't exclude the breed and the HOA doesn't restrict it, banning it just shrinks your applicant pool. Match restrictions to actual risk.
• No written addendum. "He said the dog was 30 pounds" is not enforceable. The addendum, signed, with the animal named, is what you show the judge.
• Skipping the vet and rabies check. Bexar County requires current rabies vaccination. If the tenant can't produce a certificate at move-in, the dog isn't legal on your property.
• Accepting sketchy online ESA letters without any verification. You are allowed to ask whether the provider has an actual treatment relationship with the tenant. Ask in writing, keep the response, and decide from there.

Once your pet policy, addendum, and insurance are aligned, mark the unit pet-friendly and let it work for you — pet-friendly listings on RentInSA consistently see broader applicant interest. When you are ready to list, you can post the unit free at /list-your-home, browse comparable pet-friendly rentals at /rentals to sanity-check your fee structure, or find a Bexar County landlord attorney or property manager through /agents if the accommodation questions get complicated.