Last reviewed September 2026
Written by LawLease Editorial
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Texas Security Deposit Return Letter
When a tenancy ends, a Texas landlord has a set time to return the deposit or send an itemized list of deductions. Here’s what Texas’s statute says.
Texas rules at a glance
| Return deadline | 30 days. The landlord must refund the deposit on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises, but the clock doesn’t start until the tenant gives a written forwarding address.Tex. Prop. Code §§92.103, 92.107 |
|---|---|
| Itemized statement | Any deduction must come with a written description and itemized list, and normal wear and tear can never be deducted.Tex. Prop. Code §92.104 |
| Penalty | A landlord who fails to refund or itemize within 30 days is presumed to have acted in bad faith, and bad-faith retention costs $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus the tenant’s attorney’s fees.Tex. Prop. Code §92.109 |
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).
Texas Security Deposit Return Letter 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).
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Security Deposit Return Letter in other states
- Alabama Security Deposit Return Letter
- Alaska Security Deposit Return Letter
- Arizona Security Deposit Return Letter
- Arkansas Security Deposit Return Letter
- California Security Deposit Return Letter
- Colorado Security Deposit Return Letter
- Connecticut Security Deposit Return Letter
- Delaware Security Deposit Return Letter
- District of Columbia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Florida Security Deposit Return Letter
- Georgia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Hawaii Security Deposit Return Letter
- Idaho Security Deposit Return Letter
- Illinois Security Deposit Return Letter
- Indiana Security Deposit Return Letter
- Iowa Security Deposit Return Letter
- Kansas Security Deposit Return Letter
- Kentucky Security Deposit Return Letter
- Louisiana Security Deposit Return Letter
- Maine Security Deposit Return Letter
- Maryland Security Deposit Return Letter
- Massachusetts Security Deposit Return Letter
- Michigan Security Deposit Return Letter
- Minnesota Security Deposit Return Letter
- Mississippi Security Deposit Return Letter
- Missouri Security Deposit Return Letter
- Montana Security Deposit Return Letter
- Nebraska Security Deposit Return Letter
- Nevada Security Deposit Return Letter
- New Hampshire Security Deposit Return Letter
- New Jersey Security Deposit Return Letter
- New Mexico Security Deposit Return Letter
- New York Security Deposit Return Letter
- North Carolina Security Deposit Return Letter
- North Dakota Security Deposit Return Letter
- Ohio Security Deposit Return Letter
- Oklahoma Security Deposit Return Letter
- Oregon Security Deposit Return Letter
- Pennsylvania Security Deposit Return Letter
- Rhode Island Security Deposit Return Letter
- South Carolina Security Deposit Return Letter
- South Dakota Security Deposit Return Letter
- Tennessee Security Deposit Return Letter
- Utah Security Deposit Return Letter
- Vermont Security Deposit Return Letter
- Virginia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Washington Security Deposit Return Letter
- West Virginia Security Deposit Return Letter
- Wisconsin Security Deposit Return Letter
- Wyoming Security Deposit Return Letter
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