Maintenance in a San Antonio rental has three clocks. The city’s clock: a notice of violation under the Apartment Inspection Program gives the owner ten calendar days to cure before program points accrue, and the notice goes to the address on the Bexar Appraisal District record. The state’s clock: Texas Property Code §92.056 gives the tenant remedies after written notice of a condition affecting health or safety and a reasonable time, presumed to be seven days. And the climate’s clock: a summer in which cooling failures are the complaint that cannot wait, and a watering regime that changes with the Edwards Aquifer. This page sets the work up around all three.
The city standard and who enforces it
Complaints about a rented house or apartment in San Antonio are inspected against the Minimum Property Maintenance Code, Chapter 6, Article IV, administered by the Development Services Department. For apartment complexes of five or more units, Article V adds the points-based program: §6-67 requires that a notification of a possible violation identify the unit and building, cite the code sections, describe the violation and warn that failure to cure may lead to enrollment in the inspection program. Section 6-66 sets a rebuttable presumption that ten days is sufficient to fix a violation. An owner may designate a courtesy email for these notices, which is the single most useful administrative step an out-of-town landlord can take.
Mailing address discipline
Section 6-67 deems a notice properly delivered when it is handed to the owner, the registered agent or the property manager, or sent by first-class mail “to the owner of record at his address as it appears on the Bexar County Appraisal District records” with a copy posted on the property. A landlord whose BCAD mailing address is stale can lose the cure window without ever seeing the notice. Check the record once a year and after any move, and if you live outside Bexar County, remember that two violations in twelve months trigger the $500 absentee-owner registration described in the registration guide.
The state repair duty underneath
No city inspection changes the tenant’s rights under Chapter 92. After the tenant gives written notice to the person or place where rent is paid, and the landlord has had a reasonable time — seven days is presumed under §92.056(d) — a second notice or a single tracked-mail notice opens the tenant’s remedies: repair and deduct within statutory limits, judicial remedies, or termination. Keep a log with the date and channel of every repair request, the date of each site visit and the date the work was completed. The lease should name the repair contact and the emergency number exactly as the statute expects.
Utilities: one call each, no retail provider in the middle
Because San Antonio’s electricity, gas and water are all municipally owned, the tenant’s outage calls are simple: CPS Energy for electricity and natural gas, SAWS for water and sewer. Put both numbers on the move-in sheet. SAWS also publishes the current watering stage on its home page; a tenant responsible for the yard needs to know that the permitted days and hours change with the aquifer level.
A maintenance calendar for a San Antonio property
| When | Task | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| March | Service the air-conditioning system; verify condensate drains and thermostat; check attic insulation | Cooling is the summer failure that becomes a health-and-safety notice fastest under §92.056 |
| April–May | Confirm irrigation timers follow the current SAWS stage; check for leaks at hose bibs and toilets | Watering restrictions are set by SAWS and change with the Edwards Aquifer level |
| June–September | Test smoke alarms and security devices at every visit; inspect roof after hail | Chapter 92 duties for smoke alarms and security devices are nonwaivable |
| November | Inspect heating; insulate exposed pipes and backflow devices | Freeze events damage exposed plumbing; a heating failure is a winter health-and-safety condition |
| Any move-in or move-out | Dated room-by-room photographs; meter readings; keys | Deposit itemisation under §§92.103–92.104 depends on documented condition |
What changes in San Antonio
- Apartment owners get a ten-day cure window before violation points accrue, and can register a courtesy email for notices.
- Code notices are mailed to the BCAD address of record — a stale address forfeits the cure window.
- Complaints on any rental are measured against the city’s Minimum Property Maintenance Code (Chapter 6, Article IV).
- Outage calls go to CPS Energy and SAWS only; there is no retail electricity provider.
- Yard watering follows SAWS aquifer stages, which belong in the lease’s maintenance clause.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a San Antonio apartment owner have to fix a code violation?
Under Chapter 6, Article V, the owner has ten calendar days from the notice to cure before program points accrue; the code treats ten days as presumptively sufficient. The tenant’s separate remedies under Texas Property Code §92.056 run from the tenant’s own written notice.
Does the City of San Antonio inspect single-family rentals?
On complaint, against the Minimum Property Maintenance Code in Chapter 6, Article IV. The points-based Apartment Inspection Program applies only to complexes of five or more units.
Who does a San Antonio tenant call for a power outage or a water leak in the street?
CPS Energy for electricity and gas, SAWS for water and sewer — both are city-owned utilities (CPS Energy, SAWS).
Can I put the yard watering rules in the lease?
Yes. The sensible clause says the tenant waters on the days and hours permitted under the current SAWS stage, which SAWS publishes on its website, rather than fixing days that may become unlawful when the stage changes.
Sources
Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.
- San Antonio Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6, Article IV — Minimum Property Maintenance Code ↗
- San Antonio Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6, Article V — Apartment Inspection Program ↗
- Bexar Appraisal District (BCAD) ↗
- Texas Property Code, Chapter 92 (residential tenancies) ↗
- CPS Energy — Who we are ↗
- San Antonio Water System — About SAWS ↗
General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.