Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules for all Dallas County rentals. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of deductions. The county does not impose stricter local limits; state law preempts deposit regulation.
Texas Property Code Section 92.103 requires Dallas County landlords to refund any security deposit, less lawful deductions, within 30 days after a tenant surrenders the unit and provides a written forwarding address. Section 92.104 permits deductions only for damages beyond normal wear and tear or unpaid rent and lease charges. Section 92.109 imposes treble damages plus a $100 penalty plus attorney fees for landlords acting in bad faith. Texas sets no statutory cap on deposit size, so two- or three-month deposits are legal. Dallas County has not enacted local supplements. Tenants enforce rights through Justice of the Peace courts, which Dallas County operates across multiple precincts.
Bad-faith retention triggers Section 92.109 damages: three times the wrongfully withheld portion, plus $100, plus attorney fees and court costs awarded to the prevailing tenant in Dallas County Justice of the Peace court.
See how Cedar Hill's security deposit rules rules stack up against other locations.
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