Can I get a Texas homestead exemption on a duplex I live in?
Yes, for the part you live in. Texas law says a home does not lose its homestead status because part of it is rented to someone else. You apply to your county appraisal district, and it decides the application.
WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE NEVER TOLD
The tax figure on a duplex listing is usually the current owner's, with or without a homestead exemption. Yours can be higher or lower, because you apply for your own exemption and the appraised value can change after a sale.
Under Tax Code Section 11.13, the homestead is the part of the property you own and live in as your main home. The exemption does not cover the value of a part used mainly for something else, such as a unit you rent.
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district in the property's county, usually between January 1 and April 30. Buy mid-year and you may qualify for the rest of that year if the seller did not have the exemption. The form asks for:
- The percent of the property that produces income, if any.
- Your driver's license or state ID, with an address that matches the property.
- A sworn statement that you claim no other homestead, in Texas or elsewhere.
Checked November 11, 2026. Your county appraisal district confirms your own case, including how it treats the rented part.
GOOD TO KNOW
The exemption lasts while this is your main home, and you can claim it on no other home, including one you are moving out of. If that changes, say you move and rent both units, tell the appraisal district in writing before May 1 of the following year.
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WHERE THIS COMES FROM
- Texas Property Tax Code, 2025 edition (Texas Comptroller publication 96-297): Section 11.13 on pages 50 to 52 and Section 23.23 on pages 145 to 146
- Texas Comptroller Form 50-114, Residence Homestead Exemption Application
- Texas Comptroller: Property Tax Exemptions
Researched and written by Series Homes. Checked against its sources on . Lending rules change. This page is general information, not a loan offer or legal or tax advice.