Landlords and Tenants Rights in Houston

Your journey does not end in renting an apartment and signing the lease contract. In Houston, it is important for renters to know their rights as a tenant. Learning your rights will help you prevent problems that will arise in the future. 

Like other states in the US, Houston has also its own laws in terms of tenants and landlords relationships. The has tight policies from the lease agreements to fees, safety and maintenance to evictions. In terms of lease of aggreements, Houston has a month-to-month lease agreement that lasts for a specific period of time. The lease should contain the amount of rent, required deposits and the policies of the landlords. It should also have the maintenance responsibility of the landlord on the property.

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In terms of fees, lanlords in Houston charge tenants an application fee. However, if the application is denied, the landlord must retur this fee to the tenant. They also charge for the tenant's security deposits and return it if less damages occurred caused by the tenant. There is also the monthly rental fee. In here, the landlord cannot raise the amount of the rent during the lease agreement. Landlords are also allowed to charge late fee for rents to the tenant.

In terms of safety and security, landlord are required to secure the lock on the units and test all the smoke detectors. The installation of keyless deadbolt on the main door is also required. Under the Houston law, the landlord is required to make repairs on the property if it endangers the health and safety of the tenant. Cosmetic repairs on the other hand is not the landlord's responsibility unless stated in the lease.

In terms of eviction, landlords can evict a tenant for breaking the lease agreement. The eviction requires to be valid. Thus, the landlor must follow the right procedures in evicting a tenant. The landlord must inform the tenant, three days before he files an eviction.