Texas Rental Fee Rules
Texas rules on rental fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: No cap on application fees. Landlord must make printed tenant-selection criteria available with the application, and the applicant signs an acknowledgment; Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.351-92.355
The rules in Texas
| Application / screening fees | No cap on application fees. Landlord must make printed tenant-selection criteria available with the application, and the applicant signs an acknowledgment; if the landlord rejects an applicant without having made the criteria available, it must refund the application fee and any application deposit. An applicant not accepted within 7 days is deemed rejected (application deposits refundable). Bad-faith failure to refund: $100 + 3 times the amount wrongfully retained + attorney's fees. No portable screening report law. Waivers in the rental application are void (Sec. 92.355). |
|---|---|
| Other rental fees | No general statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees or requiring total-cost-of-rent disclosure. Specific rules: late fees (limited by Sec. 92.019; tenant may request a written statement of late fees owed, Sec. 92.0191) and fees in lieu of a security deposit (Sec. 92.111). Checked the section list of ch. 92; no general fee-disclosure or junk-fee provision found. |
Related questions
- How much can a landlord charge for a rental application fee?
- What rental fees are illegal (junk fees)?
Texas vs. neighboring states
| State | Application / screening fees | Other rental fees |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | No cap on application fees. Landlord must make printed tenant-selection criteria available with the application, and the applicant signs an acknowledgment; if the landlord rejects an applicant without having made the criteria available, it must refund the application fee and any application deposit. An applicant not accepted within 7 days is deemed rejected (application deposits refundable). Bad-faith failure to refund: $100 + 3 times the amount wrongfully retained + attorney's fees. No portable screening report law. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.351-92.355 | No general statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees or requiring total-cost-of-rent disclosure. Specific rules: late fees (limited by Sec. 92.019; tenant may request a written statement of late fees owed, Sec. 92.0191) and fees in lieu of a security deposit (Sec. 92.111). Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92 (Sec. 92.019, 92.0191, 92.111) |
| Arkansas | No state cap or refund rule for rental application or screening fees, and no portable screening report law. Since Act 459 of 2025, cities, counties, and other local governments may not regulate or control the amount of rental application fees (or of rent or deposits) for private residential or commercial property. Ark. Code §§ 14-16-601, 14-54-1409 (as amended by Act 459 of 2025) | No statute limits other rental fees (move-in, convenience, or online-payment fees) or requires total-cost-of-rent disclosure. The Landlord-Tenant Act lets the parties include any lease terms not prohibited by law, so the lease governs. Ark. Code § 18-17-401(a) (Act 1004 of 2007) |
| Louisiana | No cap on the amount, and no refund rule. Before accepting an application fee, the landlord must give the applicant written notice of: the amount of the fee; whether the landlord considers credit scores, employment history, criminal history, or eviction records in deciding whether to rent; and that the applicant may share, in good faith, a statement of 200 words or less explaining financial hardship from a state or federally declared disaster or emergency and how it affected the applicant's credit, employment, or rental history (the notice must mention the COVID-19 pandemic and hurricanes). The notice may be electronic. The rule covers rentals used as the tenant's primary residence, except owner-occupied buildings of four or fewer units. The statute gives applicants no right to sue: landlords and their agents are immune from suits over violations. La. R.S. 9:3258.1 (Acts 2021, No. 422) | No statute. Louisiana has no rental junk-fee, total-price, or fee-disclosure law; fees other than rent are governed by the lease. Two narrow rules apply: a landlord must disclose an application fee in writing before collecting it (R.S. 9:3258.1), and in covered buildings a lease may not impose penalties on a tenant for calling police or emergency help after domestic abuse (R.S. 9:3261.1(C)). La. R.S. 9:3201 to 9:3261.2 (lease chapter checked); R.S. 9:3258.1; R.S. 9:3261.1(C) |
| New Mexico | Screening fees are capped at $50, to cover a credit report, reference check, or screening service. The owner must: give written or digital notice of the fee and get the applicant's written agreement to pay; not charge a fee when the owner knows or should know the unit is not available; give a receipt; hold the card or not deposit cash or checks until all earlier applicants have been screened and rejected, or offered the unit and declined; and charge no other application-processing fees. The fee must be returned within 30 days if an earlier applicant takes the unit or if the owner never runs the credit report, reference check, or screening, or never processes the application. Returns go by certified mail, by destroying the check on request, or by making the money available for pickup. Only one screening fee may be charged to the same applicant within 90 days for properties under the same ownership, and the owner must give the applicant copies of any reports used. Penalty for an unauthorized screening fee: $250 plus return of all fees. Laws 2025, ch. 122 (SB 267), §§ 3, 4, 7 (new UORRA sections; amended NMSA § 47-8-48(B)) | Every published rental listing must disclose in plain language all costs of the rental agreement: the base rent plus an itemized, readily identifiable description of every fee or charge that will be assessed during the residency. An owner is not liable for a third-party website's failure to show the costs the owner provided. Lease fees may be raised only with written notice at least 60 days before the periodic rental date or before the end of a fixed term (one rental period for residencies shorter than a month). Under the Unfair Practices Act, it is an unfair or deceptive trade practice to charge an applicant any fee other than a screening fee or deposit, or one not published in the listing, or to charge fees not included in the rental agreement. Late fees are capped at 5% of rent per rental period in default. Laws 2025, ch. 122 (SB 267), §§ 2, 5, 6, 9 |
| Oklahoma | No statute. The Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act has no cap or refund rule for application or screening fees. 41 O.S. §§ 101-136 (no application-fee section) | No statute. Title 41 has no limits on move-in, convenience, or other rental fees and no fee-disclosure rule. 41 O.S. §§ 101-136 (no fee section) |
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Compare rental fees in all 50 states and DC →
Texas Rental Fee Rules FAQ
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Texas?
No cap on application fees. Landlord must make printed tenant-selection criteria available with the application, and the applicant signs an acknowledgment; if the landlord rejects an applicant without having made the criteria available, it must refund the application fee and any application deposit. An applicant not accepted within 7 days is deemed rejected (application deposits refundable). Bad-faith failure to refund: $100 + 3 times the amount wrongfully retained + attorney's fees. No portable screening report law. (Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 92.351-92.355)
What rental fees are banned or limited in Texas?
No general statute limiting move-in, convenience or other rental fees or requiring total-cost-of-rent disclosure. Specific rules: late fees (limited by Sec. 92.019; tenant may request a written statement of late fees owed, Sec. 92.0191) and fees in lieu of a security deposit (Sec. 92.111). (Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92 (Sec. 92.019, 92.0191, 92.111))
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.