Texas Residential Lease Agreement

Texas law sets no statewide limit on security deposits, so the amount is set by the lease. Check for local rules where you rent.

Texas rule: 30 days after tenant surrenders the premises.

No. Texas state law does not require landlords to pay interest on security deposits. Some cities have their own rules.

Texas has no statute that sets a notice period for landlord entry, so the lease usually governs. Giving reasonable advance notice is common practice.

They come from Tex. Prop. Code 92.103 and Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92. We last checked them in October 2026. Laws change, so check the current statute before you rely on it.

People use the terms loosely, but a lease usually runs for a fixed term, such as twelve months, while a rental agreement often runs month to month until either side gives notice. This document handles both: choose a fixed term or month-to-month when you answer the questions.

Most residential leases do not need to be notarized to be valid. Longer leases may have additional formalities in some states, and a lease that will be recorded with the county generally needs to be notarized, but that is uncommon for ordinary home rentals.

It depends on the state. Some states cap deposits at a set number of months' rent, others set no limit, and several also regulate where the deposit is held and whether interest is owed. The lease does not invent a limit; it requires the deposit to be held and returned as the property's state law requires, so check your state's rule before choosing an amount.

Yes. You can add every adult who will sign the lease. Tenants who sign are jointly and severally liable, which means each of them is responsible for the full rent and for any damage, not just their own share.

No. Tenants have a right to privacy and quiet enjoyment. Most states require the landlord to give reasonable advance notice before entering for repairs, inspections or showings, except in an emergency. The lease requires notice as required by state law.

For homes built before 1978, federal law requires landlords to disclose known lead-based paint hazards and give tenants the EPA pamphlet on lead safety. Many states and cities require additional disclosures, such as mold, flood risk, bed bugs or the name of the deposit bank. Attach any required forms when the lease is signed.

You decide. The lease can either convert to a month-to-month tenancy on the same terms or end on the last day unless both sides sign a new lease. Even when it ends, the landlord must follow state law to remove a tenant who stays.

Yes, if both sides agree. Use a lease amendment that both the landlord and every tenant sign. A landlord cannot change the terms of a fixed-term lease on their own, and changes to a month-to-month agreement usually require advance written notice.