Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with an itemized list of deductions. Dallas does not impose stricter local limits; state law preempts most local deposit regulation.
Texas Property Code Section 92.103 requires Dallas landlords to refund any security deposit, less lawful deductions, within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the premises and provides a forwarding address in writing. Section 92.104 permits deductions only for actual damages beyond normal wear and tear or unpaid rent or charges. Section 92.109 imposes treble damages plus a $100 penalty plus attorney fees for landlords who act in bad faith. There is no statutory cap on the deposit amount in Texas, unlike states that limit it to one or two months' rent. Dallas has not enacted a local supplement; tenants enforce rights through justice-court suits, often via the Dallas Bar Association lawyer referral.
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.
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