When the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act<\/a> passed without an initial provision in the bill that threatened to quell the build-to-rent sector, more such housing is now expected to enter the market<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In San Antonio, there are more than 6,200 built-to-rent homes, up from 446 in 2018, according to data from the real estate analytics firm CoStar. Another 335 were under construction as of the second quarter this year. <\/p>\n The share of new-construction home starts in San Antonio that were built-to-rent in 2025 was 4%, down from a high of 9% in 2022, according to CoStar.<\/p>\n Nationwide, 7% of new single-family houses hitting the market are now for built to rent, not sale, according to the National Association of Home Builders<\/a>.<\/p>\n But the market has softened some, according to data from the Census Bureau<\/a>, which shows there were approximately 18,000 single-family built-for-rent home starts during the third quarter of 2025, down 6,000 from the same period the year before.<\/p>\n Two of the newest communities in San Antonio are Dickerson\u2019s neighborhood at Brooks and another 317-unit development in Northeast San Antonio, Altura.\u00a0<\/p>\n Both were built by the developer AHV Communities of San Antonio and are managed by South Carolina-based GreyStar.\u00a0<\/p>\n AHV began building rental home communities in 2012.\u00a0AHV\u2019s first build-to-rent in San Antonio was Village at Vickery Grove, near Hausman Road and Loop 1604, which opened in 2015.<\/p>\n It now has five rental communities in the city, including Frame in the South Texas Medical Center and others in states like Colorado, Tennessee and Alabama.\u00a0<\/p>\n AHV also has plans to build a build-to-rent community at Potranco Road and Highway 211 starting this fall.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re about 92% on the leased on the existing stabilized assets,\u201d said Mark Wolf, founder and CEO, AHV Communities.\u00a0. \u201cIt\u2019s a very desired product, [though] we\u2019ve had to drop our rents due to market conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n Others in San Antonio include Integrity Community Builders<\/a> and Tricon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Built-to-rent communities are designed to be permanent rental communities and are an extension of multifamily, which is good at providing studio or one- and two-bedroom housing, Wolf said.<\/p>\n But for some, traditional rental apartment living isn\u2019t ideal, he said, especially young families looking for more space, people who are transient like military service members, or empty-nesters who prefer a low-maintenance, lock-and-leave lifestyle.\u00a0<\/p>\n Renting a home is also an alternative to buying a house at a time when the concept of building equity through homeownership isn\u2019t \u201cas real as people claim,\u201d Wolf said.<\/p>\n \u201cTo build real equity in a house, you\u2019ve got to put down 20%,\u201d as a deposit, he said. \u201cOtherwise, you\u2019re just paying the bank in PMI [private mortgage insurance] this huge inflated number [because] most people are buying houses with 3%, 5%, 7%, 10% down.\u201d<\/p>\n PMI is insurance homebuyers are required to take out on a conventional loan if they\u2019re making a down payment of less than 20%. It protects the lender if the homeowner stops making payments on the loan.<\/p>\n That means the buyer is paying up to $100 monthly in PMI in addition to homeowner\u2019s insurance and property taxes, Wolf said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Renting potentially opens the door to \u201ca nicer house in a nicer area with a pool and a fitness center and maintenance \u2026 for a lot cheaper than it would be to find a down payment on a house in hopes [of building] equity in my house over time,\u201d Wolf said.\u00a0<\/p>\n At Los Cielos, monthly rent rates range between $1,899 for a two-bedroom home and $2,707 for a four-bedroom. AHV offers lease terms of nine to 24 months, with management fees of $140 to $160 a month. The non-refundable pet deposit is $350 per pet, and an additional $25 a month in rent.<\/p>\n A remodeled four-bedroom, 1,308-square-foot house in the area recently listed for $179,000. With 20% down payment, a 30-year mortgage and almost $43,000 due at closing, monthly payments on the home would come to $1,433. <\/p>\n The decision whether to rent or buy a home is as much about an individual\u2019s personal \u201ctimeline\u201d as it is about market conditions and lifestyle preferences, said Eric Bernstein, president and co-founder of Austin-based Lendfriend Mortgage.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI think the rent-versus-own conversation is just more about, \u2018Where are you at right now?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cYou tell me how long you\u2019re planning on staying in San Antonio, and I can then tell you the answer of whether or not buying a primary residence is a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n While every borrower\u2019s scenario is unique, in general, the longer you\u2019re planning to stay, the math shows it\u2019s better to buy, he said. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_6687.jpeg\")
Los Cielos resident Richard Dickerson chose the build-to-rent neighborhood at Brooks for its amenities and proximity to stores. Credit: Shari Biediger<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_6665.jpeg\")
Amenities at Los Cielos, like many build-to-rent communities, features a resort-style pool. Credit: Shari Biediger<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/IMG_6675.jpeg\")
A Los Cielos home at Brooks features two or three bedrooms. Credit: Shari Biediger<\/p>\n