Other Housing Issues
Legal Resources
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Landlord Seizure of Property
Under Texas law, a landlord cannot seize any of your property for delinquent rent unless you have a written lease that allows such action (enforcing a landlord lien) and that section is underlined or in conspicuous bold print. Read More
- By:
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Late Fees
A landlord can charge a reasonable late penalty fee if you pay rent after the first day after the due date in your lease agreement, but only if the fee is in your lease. Read More
- By:
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Lease Non-Renewal
Except in some cases, a landlord can nonrenew a lease for almost any reason and, if the landlord has given proper notice of nonrenewal pursuant to the lease, a court will likely uphold that decision. Read More
- By:
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Links to Sample Tenant Forms, including Pauper's Affidavit for Appeal
- By:
- Austin Tenants' Council
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Looking for the Best Mortgage: Shop, Compare, Negotiate
- By:
- Federal Trade Commission
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Making Home Affordable Program
The Obama Administration's Making Home Affordable Program includes opportunities to modify or refinance your mortgage to make your monthly payments more affordable. It also includes the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program for homeowners who are interested in a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. Content Detail
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
- Vietnamese / Tiếng Việt
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Renters in Foreclosure Toolkit
On May 20, 2009, the President signed into a law a bill containing provisions protecting tenants living in foreclosed buildings. (The Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act is Title VII of Public Law 111-22.) These provisions immediately went into effect and are "self-executing", so no federal agency (such as HUD) is responsible for making them work. It is up to advocates to make sure that tenants, landlords, public housing authorities, courts, the legal community, and others involved in the foreclosure process are aware of these new rights for tenants. Content Detail
- By:
- National Low Income Housing Coalition
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Right to Summon Police
A landlord may not prohibit or limit a tenant's right to summon police or other emergency assistance in response to family violence. Read More
- By:
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Security Deposits
A landlord can only deduct from your security deposit any rent, damages, and other charges for which you are legally liable under the lease agreement. Read More
- By:
- Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Subleasing
Unless the lease allows it, a tenant may not sublet (rent the house or apartment to another person) without the consent of the landlord. Read More
- By:
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Suing for Repairs in Justice of the Peace Court
If you have followed the proper procedure to seek repairs from your landlord, and your landlord has not made those necessary repairs, then you can sue to enforce your landlord?s duty to make those repairs. Read More
- By:
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
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Tenants with Disabilities and Reasonable Accommodations
Tenants with disabilities can ask their landlord to accommodate their disabilities. For example, a tenant could ask a landlord to allow a service animal in a "no pets" apartment complex; a tenant who receives a disability benefits check on the third day of each month could ask to pay the rent on that day with no late fees; and a tenant with a wheelchair could ask a landlord to allow the tenant to build a ramp to the entrance of the unit. Read More
- By:
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid
- Read this in:
- Spanish / Español
