Security deposit return deadline in Texas
A Texas landlord has 30 days after the tenancy ends to return a security deposit or send a written list of what was kept.
- Deadline
- 30 days
- What the landlord must send
- If anything is kept, the landlord must give a written description and itemized list of all deductions, unless the tenant owes undisputed rent.
- If the landlord gets it wrong
- Bad-faith retention costs $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus attorney fees.
The landlord does not have to refund or itemize until the tenant gives a written forwarding address, but the tenant does not lose the deposit by not giving one.
The law
Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.103, 92.104, 92.109. Read the statute.
Checked against the statute in October 2026. Laws change, so confirm the current rule before you rely on it.
What to do next
If the deadline has passed, or the landlord kept money without a proper list, put your request in writing. Ask for the deposit back by a specific date, and keep a copy. The free first letter in the Deposit Demand Letters kit does this for Texas, and the deadline calculator works out your exact date from your move-out day.
Other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington, D.C.
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
General information about Texas law, not legal advice, and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Deposit Demand Letters is a self-help template kit from Kits For That.