Texas places no statutory limit on how much a landlord can charge for a security deposit. However, the landlord must refund the deposit within 30 days after the tenant surrenders the premises. A landlord who keeps a deposit in bad faith faces $100 plus three times the wrongfully withheld amount, plus the tenant's attorney's fees.
Texas Property Code Subchapter C imposes no cap on the deposit amount, but it strictly governs the refund. A landlord "shall refund a security deposit to the tenant on or before the 30th day after the date the tenant surrenders the premises" (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103). The tenant must first give a written forwarding address, though failing to do so does not forfeit the refund right (§ 92.107). A landlord may deduct damages and unpaid amounts for which the tenant is legally liable but may not retain anything for normal wear and tear, and must provide a written itemized list of deductions (§ 92.104) — unless the tenant owes rent at surrender and there is no controversy over the rent owed.
Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109, a landlord who in bad faith retains a deposit is liable for $100 plus three times the portion wrongfully withheld plus the tenant's reasonable attorney's fees. Bad faith is presumed if the landlord fails to refund or provide a written itemization within 30 days.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Katy, TX
Katy's Code of Ordinances and Zoning Ordinance (Exhibit 14A) do not set a numeric maximum fence height for residential lots and require no building permit fo...
Katy, TX
Katy property owners must keep lots free of rubbish, brush, and other debris under Chapter 6 (Ordinance 01023). Weeds taller than nine inches, or any vegetat...
Katy, TX
Katy prohibits the manufacture, sale, possession, and discharge of all fireworks inside city limits under Article 5.07 of its Code of Ordinances. Violators f...
Katy, TX
Katy bans construction or use of any barbecue pit or open flame within 10 feet of a multifamily building wall, or beneath a balcony, porch, roof overhang, or...
Katy, TX
The City of Katy collects garbage and recycling weekly by color zone - Blue on Monday, Red on Tuesday, Yellow on Wednesday - through Texas Pride Disposal. Fi...
Katy, TX
Katy requires a building permit for converting a garage to living space under the 2021 IRC and 2023 NEC adopted Jan 1, 2024. Conversions cannot create an unr...
See how Katy's security deposit rules rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.