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.
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