Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Texas.
Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.
Sources last checked July 2026
Texas sets no cap on a security deposit, but requires its return within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the unit, with bad-faith withholding penalized at $100 plus 3x the amount withheld, under Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.101–92.109. Tex. Local Gov't Code § 214.902 bars municipal rent control outside a narrow governor-approved disaster exception. Eviction requires at least 3 days' unconditional notice to vacate under § 24.005, unless the lease sets a different period, and ending a month-to-month tenancy takes one month's notice under § 91.001 — Texas has no separate rent-increase notice statute.
Texas imposes no cap on security deposit amounts. Landlord must return the deposit within 30 days of tenant surrendering premises. Bad-faith withholding triggers $100 plus 3x the wrongfully withheld amount.
Before filing a forcible detainer suit, a landlord must give at least 3 days written notice to vacate, unless the lease specifies a different period. Notice must be unconditional.
Texas has no statute specifically requiring advance notice before raising rent. For month-to-month tenants, the practical minimum is ~30 days because a rent change requires terminating the old tenancy under § 91.001.
Texas prohibits municipalities from enacting rent control. The only narrow exception requires a governor-declared disaster, a local housing emergency finding, and governor approval of the ordinance.
Either party may terminate a month-to-month tenancy by giving notice. Tenancy terminates on the later of the date in the notice or one full month after notice is given.
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