Texas Property Code governs landlord-tenant rent and fee terms statewide, and few Texas cities limit pass-through charges for utilities, trash, pest control, or amenities. Dallas has no ordinance restricting how landlords pass through operating costs, so lease terms generally control disclosure and amount.
Pass-through charges in Dallas leases — water, sewer, trash, pest control, valet trash, common-area utilities, technology packages — are governed primarily by the lease contract and Texas Property Code Section 92.019 (late fees) and Chapter 92 Subchapter M (submetering). Texas does not cap administrative or convenience fees, and Dallas has not adopted a local cap, unlike rent-stabilized California cities. Submetered or allocated water billing must follow Texas PUC rules and Section 92.260 disclosures. Landlords must disclose all non-rent charges in the lease, but otherwise have broad latitude to pass through actual or estimated operating costs. Tenants signing leases should review the addenda for utility allocation, RUBS formulas, and amenity fees before agreeing.
Undisclosed or hidden pass-through fees may violate Section 92.260 submetering disclosure rules or Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, but absent specific statutory violations, enforcement is contract-based.
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