Bill Text: TX HB3497 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced

Texas House Bill 3497

Introduced

Bill Title: Relating to certain deposits or fees required to be provided by a tenant or prospective tenant in connection with a residential lease.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-03-24 - Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development [HB3497 Detail]

Download: Texas-2025-HB3497-Introduced.html



	By: Vo	H.B. No. 3497



	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
	AN ACT
	relating to certain deposits or fees required to be provided by a
	tenant or prospective tenant in connection with a residential
	lease.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. Section 92.001, Property Code, is amended by
	adding Subdivision (5-a) to read as follows:
	(5-a) "Security deposit" means a security deposit
	described by Section 92.102.
	SECTION 2. Section 92.102, Property Code, is amended to
	read as follows:
	Sec. 92.102. SECURITY DEPOSIT. A security deposit is:
	(1) any advance of money, other than a rental
	application deposit or an advance payment of rent, that is intended
	primarily to secure performance under a lease of a dwelling that has
	been entered into by a landlord and a tenant or to secure payment
	for future damage to the leased premises;
	(2) any up front or recurring fee that a landlord
	requires a tenant to pay to the landlord or third party to cover
	future damages to the leased premises or to cover future lease
	violations; and
	(3) any fee that a landlord requires a tenant to pay to
	the landlord as a result of a tenant's eviction history or credit
	history prior to leasing the unit, not including application fees.
	SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only
	to a lease entered into or renewed on or after the effective date of
	this Act. A lease entered into or renewed before the effective date
	of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before
	the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect
	for that purpose.
	SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
	a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
	provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
	Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
	Act takes effect September 1, 2025.