RenterAustin · Travis County · Texas Property Code Updated July 2026
Texas law
has teeth.
Learn to bite back.
DIY guides to Austin rental contract disputes — deposits, repairs, lease breaks — with every deadline, fee, and form cited to the statute it comes from.
- 3×
- bad-faith deposit damages, § 92.109
- $101
- JP-court filing + service, Travis County
- 30days
- deposit refund deadline, § 92.103
Every citation on this site links to an official source — check us:
The Guides
One dispute, one page, every step sourced.
Mold in Your Austin Apartment: What Texas Law Actually Requires
Texas has no 'mold law' for rentals — but the repair statutes still force action. Documentation, the two-notice process, remediation rules, and lease exits.
Read the playbook → IIHow Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in Austin? Texas Rules
Texas has no rent control — but rent increases still have rules. When a raise is legal, when it's retaliation, and how Austin renters negotiate renewals.
Read the playbook → IIICan My Landlord Enter Without Notice in Texas? Austin Rules
What Texas law actually says about landlord entry, why your lease controls, and what to do about surprise visits, lockouts, and smart-lock abuse in Austin.
Read the playbook → IVBreaking an Austin Lease Without Losing Thousands: A DIY Playbook
How to break an Austin apartment lease for less than the buyout — Texas duty-to-mitigate law, reletting fees, and the statutory exit rights.
Read the playbook → VHow to Force Repairs on Your Austin Rental (Texas § 92.052)
The written-notice process that makes an Austin landlord repair a health-and-safety condition — Texas statutes, the 7-day rule, and repair-and-deduct.
Read the playbook → VIHow to Recover a Security Deposit in Austin Without a Lawyer
The exact DIY process for recovering a wrongfully withheld security deposit in Austin, TX — demand letter, Texas Property Code § 92.109, and JP court.
Read the playbook → VIIEviction Notice in Austin? What to Do in the First 72 Hours
What a Texas notice to vacate actually means, the real eviction timeline in Travis County, and the steps that protect your record — before you self-evict.
Read the playbook →Run Your Numbers
Three calculators built on the statutes. Estimates for orientation — not legal advice.
Deposit Damages
§ 92.109 bad-faith formula
Lease Break: Buyout vs. Mitigate
§ 91.006 duty to mitigate
Refund Deadline
§ 92.103 30-day clock
The Method
Why these guides hold up.
- Primary sources only. Every legal claim links to the Texas Property Code, Austin City Code, or Travis County court page.
- Worked examples, labeled. Scenario math uses real statutory formulas and current local fees — and says so.
- Escalation path included. When a dispute outgrows DIY, each guide points to vetted Austin tenant attorneys and free legal aid.
