Texas Statewide Rule

Texas Landlord Entry: No Statutory Notice Requirement (Governed by the Lease)

Few RestrictionsApplies statewide across Texas (2026)

Texas has no statute requiring a landlord to give advance notice before entering a residential rental unit. Whether and how much notice is required is governed entirely by the lease. If the lease is silent, no advance notice is statutorily mandated, though landlords cannot use entry to harass or retaliate under Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 92.

Key Facts

Entry notice: No statutory requirement (lease controls)
If lease is silent: No advance notice is statutorily required
Common practice: TAA lease requires no notice but a note left after entry
Limit: No entry to harass or in retaliation (Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 92)
Statute: No landlord-entry statute in Texas

Last verified: 2026-06-27

Full Breakdown

No statutory requirement in Texas governs a residential landlord's right of entry or sets a notice period before entry; this is left to the lease. Texas Law Help confirms a landlord must give advance notice "only if the lease says so," and the widely used Texas Apartment Association lease "does not require advance notice, but it does require the landlord to leave a note after entering." A tenant who wants notice must negotiate it into the written lease. The general protections in Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 92 still apply: a landlord may not enter to harass the tenant or interrupt utilities, and entries that punish a tenant for exercising a legal right can constitute prohibited retaliation.

Violations & Penalties

No specific statutory penalty for entry, because no entry statute exists. Entry that breaches the lease, harasses the tenant, or is retaliatory can expose the landlord to remedies under the lease and under the anti-retaliation provisions of Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 92.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much notice must a Texas landlord give before entering?

There is no Texas statute requiring advance notice of entry. Notice is required only if the lease says so. If the lease is silent, the landlord is not statutorily obligated to give advance notice, though the lease may still impose conditions on entry.

Can a Texas landlord enter without permission?

Texas has no entry statute, so the answer depends on the lease. Many leases grant the landlord access for repairs, inspections, and showings. Even so, the landlord may not use entry to harass the tenant or as retaliation, which is barred by Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 92.

How can a Texas tenant get a right to advance notice of entry?

Because no statute provides one, a tenant must negotiate an entry-notice clause into the written lease. Without such a clause, no advance notice is legally required before the landlord enters.

Sources

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