Texas Landlord Compliance
Everything you're responsible for as a landlord in Texas
Rent control, just-cause eviction, deposits, entry, repairs and recordkeeping, written for people who own or manage a few units, checked against the official sources, and kept current when the rules move.
Jurisdiction
key details
Rent cap · Detail
No statewide cap on rent or increases. Municipal rent control is allowed only if the city council finds a disaster-related housing emergency and the governor approves the ordinance (Local Gov't Code §214.902).
Deposit cap · Detail
Property Code ch. 92 subch. C defines and regulates security deposits but sets no maximum amount.
Rent increase notice · Detail
No statute sets a rent-increase notice period; for month-to-month tenancies the practical floor is the one-month termination notice in §91.001 (parties may agree otherwise in a signed instrument). Fixed-term rent is set by the lease.
City rules · Detail
Cities may adopt rent control only on finding a disaster-caused housing emergency with the governor's approval (§214.902); none has. Prop. Code §1.004 (HB 2127, 2023) voids local ordinances regulating evictions or delaying notices to vacate.
Just cause · Detail
A month-to-month tenancy may be terminated by either party on notice; it ends one month after notice (or the date stated, if later) with no reason required. Local eviction-notice ordinances are preempted (Prop. Code §1.004, HB 2127, 2023).
Return deadline · Detail
Refund with itemized deductions on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises; the duty does not arise until the tenant gives a written forwarding address (§92.107), though the deposit is not forfeited by omitting it.
Nonpayment notice · Detail
At least 3 days' written notice before filing eviction unless the written lease sets a shorter or longer period. Under SB 38 (eff. 1/1/2026) a tenant not previously late must get a 'notice to pay rent or vacate'; others may get either form.
What are you trying to do?
Start from the task. Each route gathers the guides, checklists and forms that apply to it in Texas.
Essential local guides
If you're new to owning here, these five cover most of what will come up in your first year.
View All GuidesTexas Eviction Notice Delivery 2026: The 4 Methods That Count Under Property Code 24.005(f-3)
A Texas landlord who taped a notice to vacate on the front door and called it delivered used to be on shaky ground the moment that method got challenged. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 spells out exactly which delivery methods satisfy a pre-eviction notice, closing the guesswork that used to surround this single step.
Guide
Texas Eviction Court Rules 2026: Rule 510 Is Now the Only Procedural Rule for Justice Court Evictions
A Texas property manager who's been cross-referencing Rule 510 against the general justice-court rules to figure out which procedure actually governs an eviction case can stop doing that. Since January 1, 2026, Rule 510 stands alone as the sole procedural rule for eviction cases, and the Texas Supreme Court has already revised the new rule text once in response to public comment.
Guide
Texas Eviction Appeals 2026: Courts Must Set Rent to Be Paid During Every Residential Appeal
A Texas tenant appealing an eviction judgment used to face a rent-deposit requirement mainly tied to nonpayment cases specifically. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 extends that requirement to every residential eviction appeal, regardless of why the original judgment was entered, with an automatic consequence for a tenant who doesn't keep up with it.
Guide
Texas Eviction Procedure Authority 2026: Only the Legislature Can Modify or Suspend Chapter 24 Procedures
A Texas justice court that once added its own local requirement to an eviction case, an extra pretrial conference here, a mandatory mediation step there, no longer has that option. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 makes clear that only the Legislature can modify or suspend the procedures governing eviction cases, with a narrow, tightly defined exception for genuine disasters.
Guide
Texas Faster Evictions 2026: Landlords Can Seek Summary Disposition Without a Trial
A Texas landlord used to budget for the full back-and-forth of an eviction trial even in the most clear-cut nonpayment case. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 gives landlords a path to judgment without a trial at all when the facts genuinely aren't in dispute, and sets a firm window for when a trial, if one happens, actually gets scheduled.
Guide
Recent changes
Only substantive changes, not copy edits.
1 Jan 2026
Eviction procedures change under SB 38
SB 38 revises parts of the Texas eviction process for cases filed from January 1, 2026.
1 Sept 2025
Unauthorized-occupant removal process revised
SB 1333 created or revised expedited remedies addressing certain unauthorized occupants.
Full Texas collection
Filter by what you're doing or by the kind of resource you need.
| Resource | Type | Task | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|
Texas Eviction Notice Delivery 2026: The 4 Methods That Count Under Property Code 24.005(f-3) A Texas landlord who taped a notice to vacate on the front door and called it delivered used to be on shaky ground the moment that method got challenged. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 spells out exactly which delivery methods satisfy a pre-eviction notice, closing the guesswork that used to surround this single step. | Guides | End a tenancy | Oct 4, 2026 |
Texas Eviction Court Rules 2026: Rule 510 Is Now the Only Procedural Rule for Justice Court Evictions A Texas property manager who's been cross-referencing Rule 510 against the general justice-court rules to figure out which procedure actually governs an eviction case can stop doing that. Since January 1, 2026, Rule 510 stands alone as the sole procedural rule for eviction cases, and the Texas Supreme Court has already revised the new rule text once in response to public comment. | Guides | End a tenancy | Oct 4, 2026 |
Texas Eviction Appeals 2026: Courts Must Set Rent to Be Paid During Every Residential Appeal A Texas tenant appealing an eviction judgment used to face a rent-deposit requirement mainly tied to nonpayment cases specifically. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 extends that requirement to every residential eviction appeal, regardless of why the original judgment was entered, with an automatic consequence for a tenant who doesn't keep up with it. | Guides | End a tenancy | Oct 4, 2026 |
Texas Eviction Procedure Authority 2026: Only the Legislature Can Modify or Suspend Chapter 24 Procedures A Texas justice court that once added its own local requirement to an eviction case, an extra pretrial conference here, a mandatory mediation step there, no longer has that option. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 makes clear that only the Legislature can modify or suspend the procedures governing eviction cases, with a narrow, tightly defined exception for genuine disasters. | Guides | End a tenancy | Oct 4, 2026 |
Texas Faster Evictions 2026: Landlords Can Seek Summary Disposition Without a Trial A Texas landlord used to budget for the full back-and-forth of an eviction trial even in the most clear-cut nonpayment case. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 gives landlords a path to judgment without a trial at all when the facts genuinely aren't in dispute, and sets a firm window for when a trial, if one happens, actually gets scheduled. | Guides | End a tenancy | Oct 4, 2026 |
Texas Pay-or-Vacate Notice 2026: Required Before Filing for Nonpayment When the Tenant Wasn't Previously Late A Texas landlord whose tenant has never been late before used to be able to send a plain notice to vacate the moment rent went unpaid. Since January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 38 changes that for a tenant's first missed payment specifically, requiring a notice to pay rent or vacate instead, a distinction that gives a first-time-late tenant a real chance to catch up before the eviction case even starts. | Guides | End a tenancy | Oct 4, 2026 |
Texas Squatter Removal Law 2025: Owners Can Use a Sworn Complaint Instead of an Eviction Suit A Texas property owner who found a stranger living in a vacant house used to face the same eviction lawsuit timeline that applies to an actual tenant dispute. Since September 1, 2025, Senate Bill 1333 creates a separate, faster path for genuine non-tenant squatters, letting a sheriff or constable remove them based on a sworn complaint rather than a full eviction case. | Guides | End a tenancy | Oct 4, 2026 |
Cost to Evict a Tenant in Texas | Fees and Timelines Plan for the unexpected! From $54 filing fees to $4,000+ in total losses, learn the real cost and timeline of evicting a tenant in Texas. | Guides | End a tenancy | Mar 13, 2026 |
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