General Information

About This Guide

This guide was created in order to provide information about Texas landlord/tenant law and answer the frequently asked questions that we receive at the library. On this page, you will find a general overview of landlord/tenant law, tenants' rights, and a list of organizations that may be able to provide more assistance and information.

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New Texas Legislation

Note There may be new laws passed during the 88th Legislative Sessions that affect this subject.

Read the library's Spotlight post on the ending of the 88th Regular Session and what comes next. We briefly discuss deadlines, the governor's veto power, and how to find new legislation. To research new legislation on this topic, please see the resources below.

Texas Legislature Online Bill Search
You can search pending and enacted legislation by subject via this page on Texas Legislature Online's website. Make sure "88(R)" is selected from the Legislature dropdown box to ensure you are finding the bills from the recent session.
Bills Signed by the Governor, 88th Legislature Regular Session
See a list of bills that have been signed into law by Governor Abbott during the 88th Regular Session.
Bills Filed Without the Governor's Signature, 88th Legislature Regular Session
See a list of bills that have been filed by the Legislature without the Governor's signature during the 88th Regular Session. These bills will become law.
Bills Effective Immediately, 88th Regular Session
See a list of bills from the 88th Regular Session that will become law immediately.

Overviews of Landlord/Tenant Law

The links below provide general overviews of landlord/tenant law in Texas in easy-to-understand language.

Landlord/tenant law
Texas Law Help provides plain-English explanations of Texas law. The Landlord/Tenant section of their website provides information on a variety of landlord-tenant law issues such as application deposits, housing discrimination, fair housing, forming tenant associations, house rules, a self-help repair packet, and information on landlord's liens.
Landlords and Tenants Guide for Manufactured Home Communities
This 2016 report from the Texas A&M Real Estate Center discusses manufactured/mobile home communities and chapter 94 of the Property Code. This publication also discusses evictions from manufactured home communities.
Landlords and Tenants Guide
This report from the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University explains in everyday language the sections of the Texas Property Code dealing with landlord/tenant law. Specific sections cover the residential landlord's responsibility and liability for repairs, retaliation, the rental application, evictions, security deposits, lockouts, smoke alarms, utility cutoffs, and many other topics. A hard copy of this report is available at the State Law Library.
Overview of Landlord-Tenant Laws in Texas
Article from Nolo that discusses the basics of landlord and tenant law in Texas. Topics include required disclosures, security deposits, late fees, withholding rent and termination and eviction rules.
Renting a Home
This page from the American Bar Association provides generalized information on renting a home. Specific sections cover leases, "lease clauses to consider," evictions, security deposits, fair housing, and where to go for more help.

Tenants' Rights

The links below provide overviews of the rights that tenants have when entering into a landlord/tenant relationship.

Landlord and Tenant Rights
Richard Alderman is a University of Houston law professor who answers legal questions on the website The People's Lawyer. This page discusses tenants' rights in general covering the entire tenancy from selecting a place to moving out.
Renter's Rights
This page from the Texas Attorney General provides information on tenant rights including peace and quiet, health and safety, security, and what to do if you have problems. It provides links to AG columns, consumer alerts, and other useful pages.
The Tenants’ Rights Handbook
This pamphlet from the State Bar of Texas and Texas Young Lawyers Association provides an easy-to-understand overview of tenants' rights at all stages of the rental process from selecting a rental to termination and move out. This guide is also available in Spanish.
Know Your Rights as a Tenant in Texas
The Texan Tenant Advisor has information on a variety of landlord/tenant topics including deposits, discrimination, eviction, late fees, lease, privacy, and more.

Tenants' rights in special circumstances:

Fair Housing 101
The Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs put together this information about the federal Fair Housing Act and the Texas Fair Housting Act, both of which deal with housing discrimination.
Renter's Rights and Disaster Relief
This page from TexasLawHelp.org addresses the rights of renters after a disaster. Topics include the status of the lease, loss or damage to personal property, and disaster loans.
Your Rights When You Haven’t Paid Your Rent
This page from the People's Lawyer provides a plain English discussion of tenants' rights when the rent has not been paid. The information is organized in a convenient question and answer format.

E-Books from the Texas State Law Library

The State Law Library provides several e-books on the landlord/tenant relationship, many of which include forms and sample letters.

Every landlord's legal guide [electronic resource]
This book from Nolo is intended to help landlords with legal issues, including screening tenants, leases, security deposits, sublets, the landlord’s duty to repair, right of entry, and evictions.
Every tenant's legal guide [electronic resource]
Written in straightforward and easy-to-understand language, Nolo’s guide to tenant rights is an excellent explanation of the legal pitfalls a renter can encounter.
Landlords and tenants guide [electronic resource]
The guide available at the link below is a comprehensive guide put together by attorney Judon Fambrough for the Texas A&M Real Estate Center. It covers information many tenants and landlords will find useful.
Leases & rental agreements [electronic resource]
This title from Nolo provides plain English information on leases and rental agreements. Chapters cover preparing leases, choosing tenants, getting tenants moved in, and ending a tenancy. Appendices cover topics such as landlord/tenant statutes, rent rules, security deposit rules, and landlord’s access to the property for each state. Also available are several different types of fill-in-the-blank rental forms.

Who Can I Contact?

Austin Tenants Council
The Austin Tenants Council provides telephone counseling, mediation services, in-house counseling, housing discrimination assistance, and lease forms. Please note that eligibility for some of these services is limited to Travis County residents who meet certain income requirements. Their website has resources that are helpful to all Texans looking for information on landlord/tenant law.
BASTA Austin
According to their website, "BASTA is a non-profit project dedicated to helping Austin renters work together to improve the conditions of their homes and communities."
Texas Tenants' Union (Dallas)
The Texas Tenants' Union in Dallas provides free weekly tenants' rights workshops, organizing assistance, counseling, training, and referrals. Their website also provides specific information for HUD tenants.
Housing Crisis Center (Dallas)
The Housing Crisis Center provides many different programs for residential tenants aimed at preventing homelessness including a hotline and legal clinics. Contact them for additional information.
Fair Housing Program (San Antonio and Bexar County)
The Fair Housing Program of San Antonio accepts calls from Bexar County residents regarding landlord/tenant issues and serves as a mediator. From their website: "Counselors can discuss concerns involving evictions, repairs, security deposits, utilities billing and termination, code violations, lease disputes, occupancy standards and other related issues. Counselors are not attorneys and do not provide legal advice."
Fair Housing Council of Greater San Antonio
This non-profit organization serves the San Antonio area as well as many other counties -- including the Rio Grande Valley -- in south Texas. Their main office is in San Antonio, and they also have a field office in McAllen. The information on their site is available in English and Spanish.
Texas Low Income Housing Information Service
The Texas Low Income Housing Information Service does not provide individual assistance to tenants but their website does provide information on tenants' rights, how to fight back, and prevention. The site also provides links to tenant and legal aid organizations.