Texas Property Code governs landlord-tenant rent and fee terms statewide. Dallas County has no ordinance restricting how landlords pass through utility, trash, pest, or amenity costs, so the lease contract and Property Code Chapter 92 disclosure rules generally control disclosure and amount.
Pass-through charges in Dallas County 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) plus Chapter 92 Subchapter M (submetering and allocated billing). Texas does not cap administrative or convenience fees, and Dallas County has not adopted a local cap. Submetered or allocated water billing must follow Texas Public Utility Commission rules and Section 92.260 disclosure requirements. Landlords must disclose all non-rent charges in the lease but otherwise have broad latitude to pass through actual or estimated operating costs. Tenants should review lease addenda for utility allocation, RUBS formulas, and amenity fees.
Undisclosed or hidden pass-through fees may violate Section 92.260 submetering disclosure rules or the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, but absent specific statutory violations, enforcement in Dallas County is contract-based through state courts.
See how Mesquite's pass-through charges rules stack up against other locations.
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