Texas’ landlord-tenant laws can be found in the Landlord Tenant Laws and may include information about the subjects outlined in the following sections.

Texas state landlord-tenant law basics

• Tenant rights and obligations, including tenant at will and how to give notice that you are moving out
• Landlord rights and obligations, including notice to quit, notice to vacate or other type of eviction notice from the landlord
• Lease renewals and addendums, and how to issue rent increase notices

Texas state leases, rent and squatters’ rights

• Eviction procedures and grounds for eviction, which include not paying rent (common), not complying with certain terms of the lease and engaging in illegal activity on the property
• How to handle squatters on your properties, sometimes called adverse possession or tenancy by sufferance
  
  (Be sure you understand squatters’ rights before attempting to remove squatters from your property.)

Fair housing, resources and data in Texas

At the HUD website for Texas, you can find Texas state–specific information related to:

• Rent limits, tenants' rights and avoiding housing discrimination
• Guidance regarding service animals, including emotional support animals
• Housing news and resources, including local economic and other data

NOTE: This guide is for informational purposes only. Zillow Group, Inc. does not make any guarantees about the sufficiency of the information in or linked to from this guide, or that it’s compliant with current, applicable, or local laws. Landlord-tenant laws change rapidly and may be regulated at the federal, state, and local levels. This resource is not a substitute for the advice or service of an attorney; you should not rely on this resource for any purpose without consulting with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.

Last updated December 2017