Texas Lease Agreement Template — Free TX Rental Form
Free Texas lease agreement template with TX-specific statutory clauses including security deposit limits, late fees, and landlord disclosure requirements. Fill in, download instantly.
Texas lease agreement requirements
A Texas lease agreement is a legally binding contract between a landlord and tenant governed by the Texas Property Code Chapter 92. Texas is considered a landlord-friendly state, with relatively few statutory requirements compared to states like California. However, certain disclosures and provisions are mandatory and must be included in every written lease.
Our generator includes Texas-specific statutory clauses automatically when you select Texas as the jurisdiction. This covers the required landlord disclosures, security deposit handling under Texas law, and the repair obligations outlined in Section 92.056 of the Property Code.
Security deposits in Texas
Texas does not impose a statutory maximum on security deposits — landlords can charge whatever the market will bear. However, the Property Code Section 92.103 requires landlords to refund the deposit within 30 days of the tenant surrendering the property. If any deductions are made, the landlord must provide an itemized written description along with the remaining balance.
A Texas lease agreement template should clearly state the deposit amount, the conditions under which deductions may be made, and the timeline for refund. Failure to comply can result in the landlord being liable for damages equal to three times the wrongfully withheld amount, plus attorney's fees.
Mandatory landlord disclosures
Texas law requires specific disclosures in certain circumstances. If the landlord knows of prior flooding in the rental unit within the last five years, this must be disclosed to the tenant (Property Code Section 92.014). If the property is part of a homeowners association, the tenant must be given a copy of the HOA rules.
Additionally, Texas landlords must provide tenants with a notice regarding security devices — specifically, that the landlord must rekey the locks between tenants. The lease should reference this obligation and state who bears the cost.
- Prior flooding history (if applicable, within last 5 years)
- HOA rules and bylaws (if property is in an HOA)
- Security device rekeying notice
- Parking rules and assigned spaces
- Lead-based paint disclosure (for properties built before 1978)
Late fees and grace periods
Texas allows landlords to charge late fees, but under Property Code Section 92.019 they must be 'reasonable.' For residential leases, a late fee is considered reasonable if it is no more than 12% of the rent for properties with four or fewer units, or a commercially reasonable amount for larger properties.
There is no mandatory grace period in Texas unless the lease specifies one. However, many landlords include a grace period of 2-5 days as a practical matter. The lease should clearly state the rent due date, any grace period, and the late fee structure.
How to create a Texas lease agreement
Our free generator produces a complete Texas lease agreement in under a minute. Select Texas as your jurisdiction, fill in the property and tenant details, and the statutory clauses are assembled automatically. You can preview the full document before downloading it as HTML or text.
Pro users can export the completed agreement as an editable Word document and use the batch generator to create multiple Texas lease agreements at once from a CSV — ideal for landlords and property managers with multiple properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
No — Texas does not have rent control or rent stabilization. Landlords can raise rent by any amount with proper notice. For a periodic tenancy, Texas does not specify a required notice period, but 30 days is standard practice and recommended in the lease agreement.
Texas Property Code does not specify a required notice period for entry, but a reasonable standard is 24-48 hours. Our template includes a standard 24-hour notice clause for non-emergency access, which is best practice even though it is not mandated by statute.