Texas Property Tax Protest Resources
for Short Term Rentals
📍For Texas Short Term Rental Property Managers & Owners | Updated May 2025
How STR Rental Owners and Managers Can Lower Ownership Costs.
📍For Airbnb Hosts, Vacation Rental Owners & STR Property Managers | Updated: May 2025
Managing short-term rentals in Texas comes with high earning potential — but also high costs. One of the largest? Property taxes.
STRs (Short-Term Rentals) are almost always taxed at full market value with no homestead cap and no exemptions — meaning many are over-assessed year after year, yet most investors don’t protest — or don’t know how to protest their property taxes. This guide helps STR owners and managers understand the protest process, reduce their valuations, and improve their ROI.
At Texas Tax Appeal, we specialize in STR-friendly property tax protest services. We work with individual owners, STR property managers, and investor portfolios to lower taxable values — and we only get paid if we save our clients money
📌 Important: The protest deadline is May 15, 2025 in most Texas counties.
💡 Key Takeaways for STR Property Owners
🔶 STRs do not qualify for homestead exemptions, meaning values can rise more than 10% per year
🔶 Many counties use revenue-based valuations, not resale comps — this can inflate value
🔶 Second homes, vacation homes, and Airbnbs are often over-appraised due to limited sales data and aggressive income models
🔶 If your property was recently purchased or improved, it’s at greater risk of over-valuation
🔶 Deferred maintenance, wear-and-tear, or seasonality often aren’t reflected in your appraisal
🔶 Texas ranks 6th highest in the U.S. for property tax burden
📌 Good news: STR owners can protest every year — and many simply don’t realize it’s worth it
🧰 Tips for STR Property Owners & Hosts
✅ Protest every year — STRs are especially vulnerable to high jumps
✅ Gather photos, maintenance records, and occupancy reports to support your case
✅ Compare your appraised value with nearby non-income-producing homes
✅ Use low-performing months or past storm data to show impact on property
✅ Let a professional handle it — we’ll do the work, and you only pay if we win
📍Where Are the Most STR’s in Texas?
From beach towns to urban hot spots and Hill Country escapes, Texas short-term rentals are booming. These counties have some of the highest concentrations of STRs in the state — and are often subject to aggressive property tax valuations due to strong tourism and investment activity.
If your property is in one of these areas, there's a high chance your taxable value is inflated — especially without a homestead exemption to protect it.
📌 Tip: Use the chart below to explore your county’s market — then follow the link to your county-specific property tax guide.
💰 Top 10 Texas STR Hotspots by County
🏞️ County 📍 Major STR Cities/Towns 💡 Why It Matters 🔗 Guide
Travis County Austin Major urban Airbnb market, SXSW, ACL Fest View Guide
Bexar County San Antonio River Walk, STR permit zone, tourism boom View Guide
Galveston County Galveston, Jamaica Beach Coastal STRs, hurricane-prone adjustments View Guide
Harris County Houston High investor activity, Airbnb clusters View Guide
Comal County New Braunfels, Canyon Lake Lakefront STRs, water access premiums View Guide
Hays County Wimberley, San Marcos Hill Country STRs, weekend/vacation homes View Guide
Nueces County Port Aransas, Corpus Christi Coastal tourism, strong STR activity View Guide
Tarrant County Fort Worth, Arlington Stadiums, events, and tourism districts View Guide
Williamson County Round Rock, Georgetown High appreciation + STR-friendly suburbs View Guide
Kerr County Kerrville, Hunt Riverfront cabins, retirement STRs View Guide
Use these local resources to see what your owners are up against in your key markets. These pages include market trends, property tax rates, and how to protest step-by-step.
Don’t see your county listed, check here for more Texas County specific guides.
🤝 How We Help STR Owners
We’ve represented hundreds of STR properties across Texas, including:
🏖️ Beach condos in Galveston & Port Aransas
🎯 Urban STRs in Austin, Dallas & Houston
🏞️ Hill Country retreats & lakeside properties
Whether you manage one home or a 50-property portfolio, we make it simple:
✔ File protests for each property
✔ Use sales data + STR-specific comps
✔ Handle all hearings & paperwork
✔ You only pay 25% of what we save
🏘️ Example:
An owner in San Antonio had a rental property valued at $325,000.
After our successful protest, it was reduced to $280,000 — lowering the tax bill by $990.
📬 Let’s Get Started-— Before the May 15 Deadline
Want to become a Preferred Partner or discuss how to roll this out to your clients?
🟧 We handle the entire appeal process — start to finish
🟧 No upfront cost to owners — we only get paid if they save money
🟧 Your company can offer this as a vendor service or white-label
🟧 We’ll give you branded sign-up links, flyers, and owner materials
🟧 You can refer owners one at a time — or send your entire portfolio at once
🟧 Optional: Your company earns a referral bonus on successful savings