Texas renter guide

Texas gives landlords 30 days.

After you surrender the rental, a Texas landlord generally has 30 days to return your security deposit or provide a written accounting of deductions.

Reviewed September 26, 2026 · Texas Property Code Chapter 92

When does the 30-day clock start?

The landlord is not required to return the deposit or send a list of charges until you give a written forwarding address for the refund. You do not lose your right to the deposit just because you have not provided that address. Texas Property Code § 92.107.

What if the landlord keeps part of it?

A landlord may deduct damages and charges you are legally liable for, but may not keep part of the deposit for normal wear and tear. If the landlord retains any amount, they generally must give you the balance and a written description and itemized list of deductions.

An exception applies when you owed rent at move-out and there is no disagreement about the amount owed. Texas law also treats a refund or accounting postmarked by the deadline as timely. Texas Property Code §§ 92.104 and 92.1041.

What can happen if the deadline is missed?

If a landlord does not return the deposit or send the required accounting by the deadline, Texas law presumes bad faith. If bad faith is established and money was wrongfully withheld, the law allows $100 plus three times the portion wrongfully withheld, along with reasonable attorney fees in a suit. A bad-faith failure to itemize can also forfeit the right to withhold any of the deposit. A court decides how those rules apply to the facts.

Texas Property Code §§ 92.103 and 92.109.

Check your dates

Recoup asks for your move-out date, deposit, amount still withheld, forwarding-address status, and whether you received an itemized list. It shows the statutory deadline and a conditional illustration. It does not decide whether a deduction is valid or predict recovery.

This page gives general legal information, not legal advice. Local rules and specific facts may change your options. Consider contacting a Texas attorney or tenant resource for advice.