Rental Property Rules in Fort Worth, TX (2026)
9 verified rental property rules for Fort Worth, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Fort Worth has NO local rent control ordinance. Tex. Local Gov't Code § 214.902 preempts Texas municipalities from adopting rent control absent a declared disaster-related housing emergency and governor approval. The Fort Worth Code of Ordinances contains no rent stabilization chapter.
Fort Worth Rent Control: No Local Ordinance — Texas State Law Only
Few RestrictionsJust Cause Eviction
Fort Worth has NO local just-cause eviction ordinance. Texas is a no-cause termination state under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001 — a month-to-month tenancy may be ended by either party on 30 days' written notice without stating a reason. Fixed-term leases may be terminated for breach under Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 24.
Fort Worth Just Cause Eviction: No Local Ordinance — Texas State Law Only
Few RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 91.001
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...
Rental Registration
Fort Worth does not require a general rental property registration or licensing program. Unlike some Texas cities, Fort Worth does not mandate that landlords register residential rental properties with the city. Rental properties must comply with the Building Code and Housing Standards under Chapter 10. Code Compliance can inspect rental properties in response to complaints about substandard conditions. The city's Rental Property Crime Reduction Program works with landlords in high-crime areas on a voluntary basis.
Fort Worth Rental Property Registration
Few RestrictionsFort Worth Code Compliance — Issues & Information: Rental Property
Code Compliance maintains Fort Worth's status as a safe, clean and green city through its Neighborhood Investigations and Building Standards divisions. [...] Rental Property: Fort Worth mandates annual registration for multi-family rentals; single-family and duplex registration is mostly voluntary. [...] Substandard Structures: A substandard structure is a building that fails to meet code and t...
Relocation Assistance
Texas has no statewide tenant relocation assistance statute, and Fort Worth has not adopted a relocation-payment ordinance. Tenants displaced by no-fault terminations or condemnation receive no city-mandated payment, though the federal Uniform Relocation Act may apply when federal funds are involved.
Tenant Relocation Assistance Not Required in Fort Worth
Few RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.055(d)-(e)
Sec. 92.055. CLOSING THE RENTAL PREMISES. (d) If the landlord closes the rental unit after the tenant gives the landlord a notice to repair and the tenant moves out on or before the end of the rental term, the landlord must pay the tenant's actual and reasonable moving expenses, refund a pro rata portion of the tenant's rent from the date the tenant moves out, and, if otherwise required by law...
Security Deposit Rules
Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules. Fort Worth landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of deductions. The city has not adopted stricter local limits; state law preempts most local deposit regulation.
Security Deposits Governed by TX Property Code Statewide
Some RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.103
Sec. 92.103. OBLIGATION TO REFUND. (a) Except as provided by Section 92.107, the landlord shall refund a security deposit to the tenant on or before the 30th day after the date the tenant surrenders the premises.(b) A requirement that a tenant give advance notice of surrender as a condition for refunding the security deposit is effective only if the requirement is underlined or is printed i...
No-Fault Evictions
Texas allows Fort Worth landlords to end fixed-term leases at expiration and to terminate month-to-month tenancies with at least 30 days written notice for any lawful reason. Fort Worth has no just-cause requirement and no ordinance restricting end-of-lease nonrenewal.
No-Fault Lease Termination in Fort Worth
Few RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 24.005
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 c...
Tenant Anti-Harassment
Fort Worth has no comprehensive tenant anti-harassment ordinance. Tenants rely on Texas Property Code Section 92.331 retaliation rules and Section 92.0081 lockout protections, plus federal Fair Housing Act and Fort Worth's Human Relations ordinance for harassment based on protected characteristics.
Tenant Anti-Harassment Protections in Fort Worth
Some RestrictionsTex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.331
Sec. 92.331. RETALIATION BY LANDLORD. (a) A landlord may not retaliate against a tenant by taking an action described by Subsection (b) because the tenant:(1) in good faith exercises or attempts to exercise against a landlord a right or remedy granted to the tenant by lease, municipal ordinance, or federal or state statute;(2) gives a landlord a notice to repair or exercise a remedy under ...
Source-of-Income Discrimination
Unlike Dallas and Austin, Fort Worth has not amended its Human Relations ordinance to prohibit housing discrimination based on lawful source of income. Landlords may legally refuse Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers in Fort Worth, with no Texas state protection either.
No Fort Worth Source of Income Protection Ordinance
Few RestrictionsTex. Loc. Gov't Code Sec. 250.007
Sec. 250.007. REGULATION OF RENTAL OR LEASING OF HOUSING ACCOMMODATIONS. (a) Except as provided by this section, a municipality or county may not adopt or enforce an ordinance or regulation that prohibits an owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, managing agent, or other person having the right to lease, sublease, or rent a housing accommodation from refusing to lease or rent the housing accomm...
Section 8 Voucher Acceptance
Fort Worth Housing Solutions (FWHS), the local public housing agency, administers the federal Housing Choice Voucher program. Voucher holders find private rentals; FWHS inspects units and pays a portion of rent directly to landlords. Fort Worth has no source-of-income protection requiring acceptance.
Fort Worth Housing Solutions Runs HCV Program
Some RestrictionsLooking for Tarrant County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Fort Worth city rules.
Rental Property Rules in Tarrant County →