Killeen, TX Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)
Just cause eviction rules in Killeen, TX, sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances, list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Key Facts
- Minimum notice
- 3 days' written notice to vacate
- Foreclosure sale tenant
- 30 days' written notice required
- Delivery methods
- In person, door-affixed, or mail
- Notice clock
- Starts day of delivery, not receipt
- Lease override
- Written lease may set different period
- Governing law
- Tex. Property Code Sec. 24.005
Summary
Before filing an eviction suit in Killeen, a landlord must give a tenant under a written lease or oral rental agreement at least three days' written notice to vacate, unless the lease sets a shorter or longer period. Tenants at will, holdover tenants, and occupants after a foreclosure sale get separate notice rules under the same state law.
Sec. 24.005. NOTICE TO VACATE PRIOR TO FILING EVICTION SUIT. (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 contracted for a shorter or longer notice period in a written lease or agreement. A landlord who files a forcible detainer suit on grounds that the tenant is holding over beyond the end of the rental term or renewal period must also comply with the tenancy termination requirements of Section 91.001. (b) If the occupant is a tenant at will or by sufferance, the landlord must give the tenant at least three days' written notice to vacate before the landlord files a forcible detainer suit unless the parties have contracted for a shorter or longer notice period in a written lease or agreement.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Texas Property Code Sec. 005 sets the notice-to-vacate rules that apply statewide, including in Killeen, before a landlord can file a forcible detainer eviction suit in Bell County justice court. 001. Subsection (b) gives tenants at will or by sufferance the same three-day minimum, and requires a purchaser at a tax or trustee's foreclosure sale to give a paying residential tenant at least 30 days' written notice to vacate before ending the tenancy. 001. Subsection (f) requires the notice be delivered in person, by affixing it to the main entry door, or by regular, registered, or certified mail to the premises; subsection (f-1) allows a sealed envelope marked IMPORTANT DOCUMENT on the door plus same-day mail when the unit has no mailbox or the landlord fears harm from personal delivery.
The notice period runs from the day of delivery under subsection (g), and a landlord who already sent a rent-due reminder may combine a pay-or-vacate demand into the same notice under subsection (i).
Violations & Fines
Filing a forcible detainer suit without first giving the notice required by Section 24.005 is a jurisdictional defect. Bell County justice courts dismiss eviction petitions for missing or defective notice, forcing the landlord to re-notice and restart the three-day clock. Improper delivery, such as mailing to the wrong address or skipping the required door-affixing method, carries the same result: no valid eviction judgment until the landlord cures the notice and waits out the full period again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice must a Killeen landlord give before eviction?
Can the notice be taped to the door instead of mailed?
What notice applies after a foreclosure sale?
When does the notice period start counting?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Killeen
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Killeen to another location·View the Texas rental property rules overview
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