Texas Law on Kendall Creek Properties — Austin Property Management

Texas Eviction in JP Court: The Real Timeline and Cost for Austin Landlords

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Texas JP court eviction takes 3 to 6 weeks from the day you deliver the Notice to Vacate to the day a constable physically removes a tenant, and the all-in cost on a $2,500 a month Austin rental usually lands between $8,000 and $12,000 once you count lost rent, court costs, attorney fees, and the turn after. The court costs themselves are the smallest line on that ledger. The lost rent is the big one. Texas Property Code Section 24.005 sets the 3-day default notice period unless the lease says otherwise, and the speed of the rest of the process depends entirely on getting that first step right.

The Texas Eviction Process: Notice, JP Court, and the 3-Week Timeline

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Texas eviction for non-payment of rent moves through Justice Court (JP court) in roughly three to six weeks from the day the Notice to Vacate is delivered, and the default notice period under Texas Property Code Section 24.005 is three days unless the lease specifies a different period. Total out-of-pocket cost for an uncontested eviction usually runs $500 to $2,000 in filing fees, service costs, attorney fees, and writ execution before you ever talk about lost rent or turnover.

Texas Landlord Maintenance Responsibilities: What the Statute Actually Requires

Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Texas Property Code Section 92.052 requires landlords to make a diligent effort to repair any condition that materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant, and Section 92.0561 creates a legal presumption that seven days is a reasonable time to make the repair. Miss that window after proper notice, and the tenant can terminate the lease, sue for actual damages plus one month’s rent plus $500, repair the condition themselves and deduct it from rent, or get a court order forcing you to act. Plus attorney fees if it goes that far.

The Texas Security Deposit 30-Day Rule: How Austin Landlords Stay Out of JP Court

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Texas landlords have 30 days from the date a tenant surrenders the property AND provides a written forwarding address to either refund the security deposit or mail an itemized list of deductions, and a bad faith violation costs $100 plus three times the wrongfully withheld amount plus the tenant’s attorney fees. That is Section 92.103, Section 92.104, and Section 92.109 of the Texas Property Code, and the JP court at the Travis County courthouse hears these cases on a regular weekly docket.

Texas Security Deposit Laws: The 30-Day Rule and the Triple-Damages Trap

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Texas landlords have exactly 30 days after a tenant surrenders the property to refund the security deposit or send an itemized list of deductions, and missing that deadline in bad faith costs $100 plus three times the wrongfully withheld amount plus the tenant’s attorney fees. That is Section 92.103 for the deadline and Section 92.109 for the penalty, and yes, those section numbers are worth knowing by heart if you self-manage.

Sounds strict right. Because it is. I have watched landlords lose JP court rulings over a $900 deposit and walk out owing four grand once the math finished. The most common version is not even greed. It is the owner who got busy, missed the 30-day window, and tried to send the itemized list on day 38. By then the legal presumption already flipped to bad faith, and the conversation in court is no longer about the deductions. It is about how much the landlord owes the tenant.

Texas Lease Agreement Requirements: What Has to Be in the Document

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A Texas residential lease must identify the owner or authorized manager in writing per Texas Property Code Section 92.201, and for any rental built before 1978 federal law also requires a lead-based paint disclosure plus the EPA pamphlet plus a 10-day opportunity for the tenant to inspect for lead. Miss either of those, and the lease is partially unenforceable in ways that bite at exactly the wrong moment (deposit dispute, eviction hearing, repair claim).

Texas Landlord Tenant Laws Every Property Owner Should Know

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Texas landlord tenant laws live almost entirely in Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code, and the single most expensive mistake an owner can make is missing the 30-day security deposit deadline. Miss it, act in bad faith, and you owe the tenant $100 plus three times the wrongfully withheld portion plus their attorney fees. That is Section 92.109, and yes, it is worth knowing by heart.

Sounds harsh right. Because it is. I have watched landlords lose JP court rulings over a $900 deposit and walk out owing four grand once the math finished. So before we get into leases and repairs and evictions, lets put the rule book on the table so you know what you are actually working with.