Texas Rental Laws

Texas Rental Laws

Your Texas Rental Laws Guide to helpful links and information for leases, rent, security deposits, tenant screening, real estate and government.

Official Website of the State of Texas

The United States Census Bureau estimates that the population of Texas was 26,448,193 on July 1, 2013, a 5.2 percent increase since the 2010 United States Census

The State of Texas has 254 counties.

State Rules and Regulations

Important Lease Terms

Security Deposits

  • Amount: No Restrictions
  • Return Deadline:  30 days. Landlord need not refund deposit if lease requires tenant to give written notice of tenant’s intention to surrender the premises

Fees and Notice

  • Applications Fees: No Restrictions
  • Termination Notice:  3 Days
  • Tenant Rights to Withhold Rent: No statute

Landlord Disclosures

Real Estate Links

Federal Government

  • Fair Credit Reporting Act:  Federal Government legislation which promotes the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information contained in the files of consumer reporting agencies.
  • Fair Housing Act:  The Fair Housing Act protects people from discrimination when they are renting, buying, or securing financing for any housing. The prohibitions specifically cover discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability and the presence of children

Credit Reports

Tenant Screening

  • Counties covered:  Anderson,   Andrews,   Angelina,   Aransas,   Archer,   Armstrong,   Atascosa,   Austin,   Bailey,   Bandera,   Bastrop,   Baylor,   Bee,   Bell,   Bexar,   Blanco,   Borden,   Bosque,   Bowie,   Brazoria,   Brazos,   Brewster,   Briscoe,   Brooks,   Brown,   Burleson,   Burnet,   Caldwell,   Calhoun,   Callahan,   Cameron,   Camp,   Carson,   Cass,   Castro,   Chambers,   Cherokee,   Childress,   Clay,   Cochran,   Coke,   Coleman,   Collin,   Collingsworth,   Colorado,   Comal,   Comanche,   Concho,   Cooke,   Coryell,   Cottle,   Crane,   Crockett,   Crosby,   Culberson,   Dallam,   Dallas,   Dawson,   Deaf Smith,   Delta,   Denton,   DeWitt,   Dickens,   Dimmit,   Donley,   Duval,   Eastland,   Ector,   Edwards,   Ellis,   El Paso,   Erath,   Falls,   Fannin,   Fayette,   Fisher,   Floyd,   Foard,   Fort Bend,   Franklin,   Freestone,   Frio,   Gaines,   Galveston,   Garza,   Gillespie,   Glasscock,   Goliad,   Gonzales,   Gray,   Grayson,   Gregg,   Grimes,   Guadalupe,   Hale,   Hall,   Hamilton,   Hansford,   Hardeman,   Hardin,   Harris,   Harrison,   Hartley,   Haskell,   Hays,   Hemphill,   Henderson,   Hidalgo,   Hill,   Hockley,   Hood,   Hopkins,   Houston,   Howard,   Hudspeth,   Hunt,   Hutchinson,   Irion,   Jack,   Jackson,   Jasper,   Jeff Davis,   Jefferson,   Jim Hogg,   Jim Wells,   Johnson,   Jones,   Karnes,   Kaufman,   Kendall,   Kenedy,   Kent,   Kerr,   Kimble,   King,   Kinney,   Kleberg,   Knox,   Lamar,   Lamb,   Lampasas,   La Salle,   Lavaca,   Lee,   Leon,   Liberty,   Limestone,   Lipscomb,   Live Oak,   Llano,   Loving,   Lubbock,   Lynn,   McCulloch,   McLennan,   McMullen,   Madison,   Marion,   Martin,   Mason,   Matagorda,   Maverick,   Medina,   Menard,   Midland,   Milam,   Mills,   Mitchell,   Montague,   Montgomery,   Moore,   Morris,   Motley,   Nacogdoches,   Navarro,   Newton,   Nolan,   Nueces,   Ochiltree,   Oldham,   Orange,   Palo Pinto,   Panola,   Parker,   Parmer,   Pecos,   Polk,   Potter,   Presidio,   Rains,   Randall,   Reagan,   Real,   Red River,   Reeves,   Refugio,   Roberts,   Robertson,   Rockwall,   Runnels,   Rusk,   Sabine,   San Augustine,   San Jacinto,   San Patricio,   San Saba,   Schleicher,   Scurry,   Shackelford,   Shelby,   Sherman,   Smith,   Somervell,   Starr,   Stephens,   Sterling,   Stonewall,   Sutton,   Swisher,   Tarrant,   Taylor,   Terrell,   Terry,   Throckmorton,   Titus,   Tom Green,   Travis,   Trinity,   Tyler,   Upshur,   Upton,   Uvalde,   Val Verde,   Van Zandt,   Victoria,   Walker,   Waller,   Ward,   Washington,   Webb,   Wharton,   Wheeler,   Wichita,   Wilbarger,   Willacy,   Williamson,   Wilson,   Winkler,   Wise,   Wood,   Yoakum,   Young,   Zapata,   Zavala
  • Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

Last Updated: April 17, 2020