Texas Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules
Texas rules on privacy, guests & animals for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: it is a state jail felony to photograph or record, without consent and with intent to invade privacy, another person in a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, which the statute says includes a bathroom, bedroom… Tex. Penal Code Sec. 21.15; 16.02
The rules in Texas
| Cameras & privacy | No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: it is a state jail felony to photograph or record, without consent and with intent to invade privacy, another person in a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, which the statute says includes a bathroom, bedroom and changing room; posting a sign does not establish consent. Intercepting oral, wire or electronic communications is a crime unless a party to the communication consents (one-party consent), so audio recording of tenants' conversations is restricted. Sec. 21.15 was amended by H.B. 1465 (Acts 2025, 89th Leg.), eff. Sept. 1, 2025. Sec. 16.02 text: https://tcss.legis.texas.gov/resources/PE/htm/PE.16.htm. Landlord entry rules are set by the lease; ch. 92 has no general notice-of-entry statute. |
|---|---|
| Guests & occupants | State occupancy cap: a landlord may not allow more adults (18+) to occupy a dwelling than three times the number of bedrooms, except where a fair housing law requires more, or for up to one month for an adult seeking sanctuary from family violence. Neighbors within 3,000 feet (or a government or civic association) may sue to enjoin violations and recover $500 per violation plus fees. No statute defines when a guest becomes a tenant or gives roommate/additional-occupant rights; the lease governs. 'Bedroom' means an area intended as sleeping quarters, not a kitchen, dining room, bathroom, living room, utility room or closet. Ch. 92 separately defines an 'occupant' as a person with the landlord's consent to occupy who has no obligation to pay rent (Sec. 92.016). Source: Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.010 |
| Service & support animals (state law) | Texas law guarantees persons with disabilities equal access to rental housing and says a person with a service animal may not be charged extra compensation or a deposit for the animal, but is liable for damage the animal causes beyond reasonable wear and tear. The state definition of 'assistance animal'/'service animal' is limited to a specially trained or equipped dog. Knowingly misrepresenting an animal as an assistance or service animal is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and 30 hours of community service. No state statute sets documentation rules for emotional support animals. Emotional support animals that are not trained dogs are not covered by the state definition, but may be a reasonable accommodation under the federal Fair Housing Act and the Texas Fair Housing Act. |
Related questions
- Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental?
- Can a landlord limit overnight guests or roommates?
- Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal?
Texas vs. neighboring states
| State | Cameras & privacy | Guests & occupants | Service & support animals (state law) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: it is a state jail felony to photograph or record, without consent and with intent to invade privacy, another person in a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, which the statute says includes a bathroom, bedroom and changing room; posting a sign does not establish consent. Intercepting oral, wire or electronic communications is a crime unless a party to the communication consents (one-party consent), so audio recording of tenants' conversations is restricted. Tex. Penal Code Sec. 21.15; 16.02 | State occupancy cap: a landlord may not allow more adults (18+) to occupy a dwelling than three times the number of bedrooms, except where a fair housing law requires more, or for up to one month for an adult seeking sanctuary from family violence. Neighbors within 3,000 feet (or a government or civic association) may sue to enjoin violations and recover $500 per violation plus fees. No statute defines when a guest becomes a tenant or gives roommate/additional-occupant rights; the lease governs. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.010 | Texas law guarantees persons with disabilities equal access to rental housing and says a person with a service animal may not be charged extra compensation or a deposit for the animal, but is liable for damage the animal causes beyond reasonable wear and tear. The state definition of 'assistance animal'/'service animal' is limited to a specially trained or equipped dog. Knowingly misrepresenting an animal as an assistance or service animal is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and 30 hours of community service. No state statute sets documentation rules for emotional support animals. Tex. Hum. Res. Code Sec. 121.002, 121.003(g)-(h), 121.006 |
| Arkansas | No landlord-specific statute. Using a camera or other image-recording device to secretly observe or record a person in a private area of a residence where they expect privacy, without consent, is video voyeurism (a felony). Security monitoring run by or at the direction of the residence's occupant is exempt. Recording a conversation is legal only if the recorder is a party or one party consents. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 5-16-101, 5-60-120 | No statute — lease governs. Arkansas sets no guest-versus-tenant rule, state occupancy limit or roommate right. The tenant must make people on the premises with the tenant's permission behave so as not to disturb other tenants, and is responsible if they damage the premises. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-601(6)-(8) | Arkansas law guarantees people with visual, hearing or other physical disabilities full and equal access to rental housing, and makes interfering with that right a misdemeanor. Misrepresenting an animal as a service animal to a public accommodation carries a civil penalty of up to $250 per violation. Arkansas has no state statute on emotional support animal documentation or pet-fee limits in housing; the federal Fair Housing Act governs those requests. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 20-14-302, 20-14-305, 20-14-310 |
| Louisiana | No landlord-specific statute. Video voyeurism is a crime. It means using any camera or image-recording device, including a drone, to observe, photograph or film a person without consent to that specific instance, either for a lewd or lascivious purpose or in certain intimate circumstances where the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy. Recording conversations is lawful if the person recording is a party or one party gave prior consent, unless it is done to commit a crime, tort or other injurious act. La. R.S. 14:283(A); La. R.S. 15:1303(C)(4) | No statute on guests versus tenants or occupancy limits — the lease governs. Under the Civil Code, the lessee has the right to sublease and assign unless the lease expressly prohibits it. A lease clause prohibiting one of these is deemed to prohibit the others unless a contrary intent is expressed, and otherwise is construed strictly against the lessor. The lessee is responsible for damage caused by people on the premises with the lessee's consent. La. C.C. arts. 2713, 2692 | The Louisiana Support and Service Animal Integrity Act (2024) sets strict rules for support-animal documentation. A health care provider may issue documentation only if licensed in Louisiana (or through a licensure compact) and qualified to diagnose disabilities, and only after a disability assessment. The provider must have a therapeutic relationship of at least 30 days and at least 2 sessions (in person or remote), and must do a clinical evaluation at least 30 days before. The letter must show its effective date, the provider's license number and license type. Online letter mills don't qualify. Individuals may not falsely claim a disability-related need for a support animal or misrepresent an animal as a service dog to a residential landlord. Fines are up to $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second and $2,500 for later offenses. Sellers of support animals or certificates must give written notices. The Act doesn't limit fair housing accommodation rights. La. R.S. 46:1971-1978 (Acts 2024, No. 558, HB 407) |
| New Mexico | No landlord-specific camera statute. Voyeurism — intentionally viewing, photographing, videotaping, filming, webcasting, or recording another person's intimate areas without knowledge and consent in a bedroom, bathroom, or other place with a reasonable expectation of privacy — is a misdemeanor (fourth-degree felony if the victim is under 18). Owner entry generally requires 24 hours' written notice of the purpose, date, and estimated time. NMSA 1978, §§ 30-9-20, 47-8-24 | The owner may not charge the resident a fee for occupancy of the unit by a reasonable number of guests for a reasonable length of time (charges for guests' use of other facilities are allowed). Otherwise the rental agreement governs occupants; residents must make persons on the premises with their consent behave so as not to disturb neighbors. NMSA 1978, §§ 47-8-15(E), 47-8-22(G) | The Service Animal Act defines 'qualified service animal' as a trained service dog or miniature horse and expressly excludes emotional support, comfort, and therapy animals. Knowingly presenting an animal as a qualified service animal when it does not meet that definition is a misdemeanor. The Act's access and no-extra-charge rules are framed around buildings open to the public, public accommodations, and common carriers. No state statute sets ESA documentation rules or pet-fee limits for housing. NMSA 1978, §§ 28-11-1.1 to 28-11-6 |
| Oklahoma | No landlord-specific statute. Using photographic, electronic or video equipment in a clandestine manner for an illegal, illegitimate, prurient or lewd purpose to view a person without knowledge and consent where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy is a felony (Peeping Tom); loitering near a residence to watch someone clandestinely is a misdemeanor. Intercepting oral, wire or electronic communications is a felony unless the person is a party or one party consented (one-party consent). 21 O.S. § 1171; 13 O.S. §§ 176.3, 176.4(5) | A rental agreement may impose reasonable limits on use by a tenant or occupant. A landlord may demand in writing that an occupant who breaches a lease condition leave; an occupant who wrongfully fails to leave within a reasonable time commits trespass (fine up to $500 and/or up to 30 days in jail). An occupancy limit of two persons per bedroom is presumed reasonable, but does not apply to children born to the tenants during the lease. An occupant with no rental agreement whom the landlord has not accepted as a tenant may be told to leave without an eviction case. 41 O.S. §§ 117(B)-(C), 111(G) | Oklahoma defines 'assistance animal' to include service animals and emotional support animals. Unless the disability or need is readily apparent, the landlord may request reliable documentation verifying the disability under the Fair Housing Act, describing the accommodation, and showing the link between the disability and the need, and may independently verify it. Documentation acquired through purchase or exchange of funds for goods and services is presumed fraudulent. A landlord is not liable for injuries caused by an assistance animal allowed as an accommodation. If a tenant obtains an accommodation by knowingly false claim or fraudulent documentation, the landlord may use the Act's noncompliance remedies, and a prevailing landlord in eviction may recover costs, fees and damages up to $1,000. A landlord may not deny or end a tenancy because of a guide, signal or service dog. 41 O.S. §§ 113.2, 113.1 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Compare privacy, guests & animals in all 50 states and DC →
Texas Privacy, Guests & Animal Rules FAQ
Can a landlord put cameras in or around a rental in Texas?
No landlord-specific statute. Criminal laws apply: it is a state jail felony to photograph or record, without consent and with intent to invade privacy, another person in a place where a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, which the statute says includes a bathroom, bedroom and changing room; posting a sign does not establish consent. Intercepting oral, wire or electronic communications is a crime unless a party to the communication consents (one-party consent), so audio recording of tenants' conversations is restricted. (Tex. Penal Code Sec. 21.15; 16.02)
Can a landlord limit guests or roommates in Texas?
State occupancy cap: a landlord may not allow more adults (18+) to occupy a dwelling than three times the number of bedrooms, except where a fair housing law requires more, or for up to one month for an adult seeking sanctuary from family violence. Neighbors within 3,000 feet (or a government or civic association) may sue to enjoin violations and recover $500 per violation plus fees. No statute defines when a guest becomes a tenant or gives roommate/additional-occupant rights; the lease governs. (Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.010)
Can a landlord deny a service or emotional support animal in Texas?
Texas law guarantees persons with disabilities equal access to rental housing and says a person with a service animal may not be charged extra compensation or a deposit for the animal, but is liable for damage the animal causes beyond reasonable wear and tear. The state definition of 'assistance animal'/'service animal' is limited to a specially trained or equipped dog. Knowingly misrepresenting an animal as an assistance or service animal is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and 30 hours of community service. No state statute sets documentation rules for emotional support animals. (Tex. Hum. Res. Code Sec. 121.002, 121.003(g)-(h), 121.006)
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.