What happens to my homestead exemption if I rent my house in Texas?

The Texas homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of your primary residence for property tax purposes. In Tarrant County, the standard residential homestead exemption reduces your appraised value by $100,000 for school district taxes, and school taxes are typically the largest component of your total tax bill. Additional exemptions may apply through the county and individual taxing districts. The exemption is not automatic if you move; it stays attached to the property until the county appraisal district removes it, either because you filed for a new exemption elsewhere or because the district discovered you no longer occupy the home. If the exemption is removed for a prior year, you may owe back taxes.

The moment you stop occupying the property as your primary residence, you are no longer eligible for the homestead exemption on that address. The practical timing: the exemption is based on your occupancy status as of January 1 of the tax year. If you move out on March 1, 2026, your exemption stays in place for the 2026 tax year (because you occupied it on January 1), but you will not be eligible for 2027. When the appraisal district removes the exemption, which typically happens after you apply for a homestead elsewhere, or after the district catches the discrepancy, your taxable value increases by $100,000 or more, and your annual tax bill increases accordingly. In most 76179 zip codes, that means an additional $600-$1,800 per year in property taxes.

Once you establish a new primary residence, you should apply for the homestead exemption on the new property as quickly as possible. In Tarrant County, you file Form 50-114 (Application for Residence Homestead Exemption) with the Tarrant Appraisal District. Applications are accepted year-round but must be received by April 30 to apply to the current tax year. If you miss the April 30 deadline, the earliest you can get the exemption in place is the following January 1. You will need a Texas driver's license or state ID showing your new address, and you must certify that the property is your primary residence. The TAD website has the current form and filing instructions.

If you continued claiming a homestead exemption on a property after you moved out, even unintentionally, because you never notified the appraisal district, the county can assess back taxes for the years the exemption was improperly applied, plus a penalty. Texas Tax Code Section 11.43 allows the appraisal district to back-assess up to five years if it discovers an ineligible exemption. This comes up most often when owners move out, start renting, but never remove themselves from the homestead on the rental property. The fix is straightforward: notify the Tarrant Appraisal District in writing that the property is no longer your primary residence, and do it promptly when you move out. Do not wait for them to catch it.

When you are running the cash flow math on a potential rental, you need to account for the higher property tax bill, not the rate you paid as an owner-occupant. If your current Tarrant County tax bill is $5,200/year with the homestead exemption and the exemption saves you $1,200/year, your tax bill as a landlord will be approximately $6,400/year. That difference affects your monthly cost calculation and your escrow payment if you have a loan on the property. Use the non-homestead tax rate in your cash flow projections. It is the accurate number. Many owners calculate cash flow using their current (lower) owner-occupied tax rate and are surprised when the bill goes up.