A Texas lease agreement is a binding document between a landlord and a tenant, written following Texas’s landlord-tenant laws. The landlord agrees to rent their property to a tenant for a fee, and the tenant agrees to the lease agreement’s terms and conditions.
Elements within a lease agreement include the tenant’s and landlord’s contact information, security deposit fees, rental payments, health hazards, pet prohibitions, and the property’s address.
Laws
Required Lease Disclosures
Texas law requires landlords to make the following disclosures:
- The landlord must provide the name and address of the owner of the rented property. The landlord must also provide the name and mailing address of any management company that takes care of the property (TX Prop § 92.201).
- The landlord must provide the rules for parking on the property and any towing procedures in place (TX Prop § 92.0131).
- The landlord must state that the tenant is allowed to end the lease early in case of a military deployment/transfer or family violence (TX Prop § 92.016).
- The landlord must dictate the tenant’s remedies if they don’t perform a repair within seven days (TX Prop § 92.0561).
Additionally, if the property was built before 1978, the landlord must issue a disclosure about the possibility of the property having lead-based paint (42 U.S. Code § 4852d).
Security Deposit
Texas doesn’t have a statute regarding a security deposit maximum, so there’s no limit to the amount a landlord can request from a tenant.
A landlord must return a tenant’s security deposit within thirty days (30) of the end of the lease (TX Prop § 92.103).
Landlord Right of Entry
Texas doesn’t have a statute commanding landlords’ right to entry, but it’s common courtesy to provide at least 24 hours’ written notice before they enter the property.
Small Claims Court
A tenant can sue a landlord for up to $20,000 in small claims court if they need to recover an unreturned security deposit (Rules 500 – 507 of Part V of the Rules of Civil Procedure).
Sample
Our Texas residential lease agreement template can help you create your own and start renting your property. Download it as a PDF or Word file below:
