Rental Property Rules in Austin, TX (2026)
9 verified rental property rules for Austin, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Austin has NO local rent control ordinance. Tex. Local Gov't Code § 214.902 preempts any Texas municipality from adopting rent control unless the governor approves it after a declared housing-emergency disaster. The Austin City Code contains no rent stabilization chapter and most rent increases are unrestricted.
Austin Rent Control: No Local Ordinance — Texas State Law Only
Few RestrictionsJust Cause Eviction
Austin City Code Chapter 4-14 (Ord. 20221027-023, Oct. 2022) requires landlords with 5+ units to give a 7-day notice of proposed eviction before any notice to vacate. Texas HB 2127 (eff. Sept. 1, 2023) preempts local eviction rules; the Third Court of Appeals upheld HB 2127 in July 2025.
Austin Notice of Proposed Eviction — Likely Preempted by HB 2127
Some RestrictionsTexas Property Code Sec. 24.005 (Notice Required Before Filing Certain Eviction Suits)
Sec. 24.005. NOTICE REQUIRED BEFORE FILING CERTAIN EVICTION SUITS. (a) If the occupant is a tenant under a written lease or oral rental agreement, the landlord must give a tenant who defaults or holds over beyond the end of the rental term or renewal period at least three days' written notice to vacate the premises before the landlord files a forcible detainer suit, unless the parties have cont...
Rental Registration
Austin requires registration for short-term rentals (STRs) under City Code Title 25, Chapter 25-2, Article 4 (Short-Term Rental Ordinance). STRs are classified as Type 1 (owner-occupied), Type 2 (non-owner-occupied, non-multifamily), or Type 3 (non-owner-occupied multifamily). All types require an operating license from Austin Code Department. Long-term rentals do not require a separate rental registration. The city suspended issuing new Type 2 licenses in certain areas due to density caps.
Austin Rental Property Registration Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.201(a)
Sec. 92.201. DISCLOSURE OF OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT. (a) A landlord shall disclose to a tenant, or to any government official or employee acting in an official capacity, according to this subchapter: (1) the name and either a street or post office box address of the holder of record title, according to the deed records in the county clerk's office, of the dwelling rented by the tenant or inquir...
Relocation Assistance
Austin's Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance, codified at City Code Chapter 25-1 Subchapter F, requires landlords to pay relocation benefits when manufactured-home parks close, multifamily properties demolish, or zoning changes displace tenants. Most private market evictions still require nothing.
Austin Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance Limited Scope
Some RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.001
Sec. 92.001. DEFINITIONS. Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, in this chapter: (1) "Dwelling" means one or more rooms rented for use as a permanent residence under a single lease to one or more tenants. (2) "Landlord" means the owner, lessor, or sublessor of a dwelling, but does not include a manager or agent of the landlord unless the manager or agent purports to be the owner, lessor...
Security Deposit Rules
Texas Property Code Section 92.103 requires Austin landlords to refund tenant security deposits within 30 days of move-out, with itemized deductions for damage beyond normal wear and tear; Austin imposes no stricter local rule.
Texas Security Deposit Rules Apply in Austin
Some RestrictionsNo-Fault Evictions
Texas Property Code Chapter 24 allows Austin landlords to terminate month-to-month tenancies or refuse to renew fixed-term leases without cause, requiring only proper written notice; Austin imposes no just-cause requirement on private landlords.
Texas Allows No-Fault Eviction at Lease End in Austin
Few RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 91.001(a)-(b)
Sec. 91.001. NOTICE FOR TERMINATING CERTAIN TENANCIES. (a) A monthly tenancy or a tenancy from month to month may be terminated by the tenant or the landlord giving notice of termination to the other. (b) If a notice of termination is given under Subsection (a) and if the rent-paying period is at least one month, the tenancy terminates on whichever of the following days is the later: (1) the da...
Tenant Anti-Harassment
Texas Property Code Section 92.331 prohibits landlord retaliation, and Austin City Code Chapter 5-2 forbids housing discrimination on protected-class grounds. Austin has no comprehensive Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance like Los Angeles or Seattle.
Texas Retaliation Statute and Austin Code Ch. 5-2 Apply
Some RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.004
Sec. 92.004. HARASSMENT. A party who files or prosecutes a suit under Subchapter B, D, E, or F in bad faith or for purposes of harassment is liable to the defendant for one month's rent plus $100 and for attorney's fees.
Source-of-Income Discrimination
Austin enacted a source-of-income antidiscrimination ordinance in 2014, but Texas HB 1510 (2015), codified at Local Government Code Section 250.007, expressly preempted it. Private Austin landlords may legally refuse Section 8 vouchers today.
Austin SOI Ordinance Struck Down by Texas HB 1510
Few RestrictionsSection 8 Voucher Acceptance
The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) administers federal Housing Choice Vouchers, but landlord participation is voluntary because Texas Local Government Code Section 250.007 preempts mandatory acceptance.
HACA Runs Housing Choice Vouchers; Acceptance Voluntary
Some RestrictionsLooking for Travis County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Austin city rules.
Rental Property Rules in Travis County →