Texas Rentals Article

The Rules and Regulations of Renting in Texas

When you opt to secure a Texas rental, you’ll want to make sure you understand the legalities of the process prior to signing a lease or rental agreement. Much like any other contract, you’ll want to read the fine print and make sure that your rights are secured along with the rights of the superintendent or landlord.

A Texas rental agreement should include information on the expectations of both the occupant and the landlord, including which bills the tenant will be responsible for. Will you be expected to pay for the water bill, electric bill, phone bill, or any other services, or will these all be included in the rent price? Is there a security deposit, and under what circumstances would you expect that deposit to not be returned?

Texas rental law dictates that you must be a certain age to secure a rental property, usually 18 in most areas. While an individual may be considered legally independent at the age of 17, such regulations throughout the state have not changed, and it is illegal to rent to an underage tenant without the signed release of a parent or guardian. You should also check into the regulations regarding the number of tenants in a particular apartment or home. Often, there is a limitation (usually double the number of bedrooms in an apartment) in order to secure the safety of the home, not allowing it to be overcrowded. Also, dictating the number of tenants allowed keeps the property in better condition by limiting the use of the apartment considerably.

Texas rental property law is usually used to determine that the landlord or superintendent is responsible for all repairs, and an unsatisfactory living environment is grounds for nonpayment of rent. Therefore, it is important to know the exact wording of such regulations in order to prove the lack of response from a noncompliant landlord. According to law, apartment complexes are allowed to add additional criteria to their qualifications for rental, including age (some complexes are geared toward certain age groups and may target only 21 to 30 year old tenants), a certain salary, affiliation to some particular group, or otherwise.

Securing a rental in Texas is not a difficult task. However, like any other part of the country, there are rules, regulations, and state and federal laws by which citizens must abide, making it important for you to determine which portions of the law are important to your own situation, allowing you to evaluate your decision prior to signing any agreements. Take advantage of online information, where you’ll find various sources that detail the rules and regulations of renting a house or apartment in Texas.