Last reviewed September 2026
Written by LawLease Editorial
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Texas Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
This Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement is built with Texas as the governing state. These are the Texas landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.
Texas rules at a glance
| Security deposit limit | No statutory cap |
|---|---|
| Deposit return | 30 days after surrender, once the tenant gives a written forwarding addressTex. Prop. Code §§92.103, 92.107 |
| Itemized deductions | Any deduction must come with a written description and itemized list. Normal wear and tear can never be deducted (§92.104). |
| Late fees | Only after rent is unpaid 2 full days; safe harbor 12% of rent (≤4 units) or 10% (5+ units)Tex. Prop. Code §92.019 |
| Nonpayment eviction notice | 3 days’ written notice (pay-or-vacate for a first-time late tenant) unless the lease says otherwiseTex. Prop. Code §24.005 |
Security deposits in Texas
Texas places no limit on the size of a security deposit and does not require it to be held in a separate or interest-bearing account. The rules are about the refund — and the penalties for getting it wrong are steep.
- 30-day refund — The landlord must refund the deposit on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises (§92.103(a)). The clock doesn’t start until the tenant gives a written forwarding address — but a tenant doesn’t forfeit the deposit merely by failing to give one (§92.107).
- Itemized deductions — Any deduction must come with a written description and itemized list. Normal wear and tear can never be deducted (§92.104).
- Advance-notice conditions — A lease clause requiring advance notice of move-out as a condition of the refund is only enforceable if it is underlined or in conspicuous bold print (§92.103(b)).
- Bad-faith penalty — A landlord who fails to refund or itemize within 30 days is presumed to have acted in bad faith; bad-faith retention costs $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus the tenant’s attorney’s fees (§92.109).
- No “last month” offset — A tenant may not withhold the last month’s rent on the theory that the deposit covers it; doing so is presumed bad faith and exposes the tenant to three times the rent withheld (§92.108).
- Email notices — For leases signed or renewed on or after September 1, 2025, deposit-related notices may go by email if the parties have previously communicated by email (§92.113, HB 2037).
Rent, late fees & returned payments
Texas is one of the few states with a precise late-fee statute. A late fee is only collectible if notice of it is in a written lease, it is reasonable, and rent has remained unpaid two full days after the due date (§92.019(a)).
- Safe-harbor cap — A fee is presumed reasonable if it doesn’t exceed 12% of one month’s rent for a dwelling in a structure with four or fewer units, or 10% for a structure with more than four. A higher fee must be justified by the landlord’s actual uncertain damages (§92.019(a-1)).
- Initial + daily fees — A lease may combine an initial fee with a daily fee, but the two together count as a single late fee against the cap (§92.019(b)).
- Penalty — An unlawful late fee costs the landlord $100, three times the fee collected, and the tenant’s attorney’s fees; any lease waiver of these rules is void (§92.019(c)–(d)).
- Returned payments — The processing fee for a dishonored check or electronic payment is capped at $30 (Tex. Bus. & Com. Code §3.506).
- Cash rent — A landlord must accept cash unless the written lease requires another method, and must give a written receipt for cash (§92.011).
- Rent increases — Texas has no rent-increase notice statute. A fixed-term lease can’t be changed mid-term without the tenant’s agreement; for a month-to-month tenancy, an increase is effectively an offer of new terms, so landlords give at least the one rental period required to end the tenancy (§91.001).
Texas Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement FAQs
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Texas?
There is no statutory cap — the lease sets the amount. Texas regulates the refund instead: 30 days after the tenant surrenders the unit and provides a written forwarding address, with an itemized list of any deductions (§§92.103, 92.104, 92.107).
How long does a Texas landlord have to return a security deposit?
30 days after the tenant surrenders the premises, but only once the tenant has given a written forwarding address. Missing the deadline creates a presumption of bad faith, which carries $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld and the tenant’s attorney’s fees (§§92.103, 92.109).
What is the maximum late fee in Texas?
A late fee can only be charged once rent has been unpaid for two full days after the due date, and must be in a written lease. It’s presumed reasonable up to 12% of monthly rent for a building with four or fewer units, or 10% for larger buildings; initial and daily fees are added together against that cap (§92.019).
More Texas landlord documents
- Texas Residential Lease Agreement
- Texas Eviction Notice
- Texas Security Deposit Return Letter
- Texas Rent Increase Notice
- Texas Notice to Vacate
- Texas Application Approval Letter
- Texas Application Denial Letter
- Texas Background & Credit Check Authorization
- Texas Rental Application
- Texas Bed Bug Addendum
- Texas Mold & Mildew Addendum
- Texas No-Smoking Addendum
- Texas Parking & Storage Addendum
- Texas HOA & Community Rules Addendum
- Texas Crime-Free Housing Addendum
- Texas Utilities & Services Addendum
- Texas Early Termination Addendum
- Texas Lease Extension Addendum
- Texas Lead-Based Paint Disclosure
- Texas Military Clause (SCRA)
- Texas Pet Addendum
- Texas Cash for Keys Agreement
- Texas Mutual Lease Termination Agreement
- Texas Lease Renewal Agreement
- Texas Notice of Non-Renewal
- Texas Late Rent Notice
- Texas Lease Violation Notice
- Texas Notice of Entry
- Texas Move-In / Move-Out Inspection Checklist
- Texas Rent Receipt
- Texas Rent Verification Letter
- Texas Tenant Welcome Letter
- Texas Property Management Agreement
- Texas Commercial Lease
- Texas Rent-to-Own Agreement
- Texas Short-Term Rental Agreement
- Texas Room Rental Agreement
- Texas Roommate Agreement
- Texas Spanish Lease Agreement
- Texas Sublease Agreement
- Texas Lease Amendment
Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement in other states
- Alabama Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Alaska Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Arizona Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Arkansas Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- California Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Colorado Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Connecticut Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Delaware Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Florida Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Georgia Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Hawaii Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Idaho Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Illinois Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Indiana Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Iowa Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Kansas Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Kentucky Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Louisiana Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Maine Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Maryland Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Massachusetts Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Michigan Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Minnesota Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Mississippi Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Missouri Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Montana Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Nebraska Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Nevada Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- New Hampshire Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- New Jersey Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- New Mexico Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- New York Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- North Carolina Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- North Dakota Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Ohio Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Oklahoma Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Oregon Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Pennsylvania Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Rhode Island Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- South Carolina Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- South Dakota Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Tennessee Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Utah Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Vermont Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Virginia Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Washington Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- West Virginia Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Wisconsin Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
- Wyoming Co-Signer Guarantor Agreement
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