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Granbury is the county seat of Hood County, a growing community on the shores of Lake Granbury, roughly 35 miles southwest of Fort Worth. As the region has expanded, more residents are renting homes, apartments, and lake-adjacent properties — making a clear understanding of tenant rights increasingly important for Granbury renters.
Renters in Granbury are governed entirely by Texas state law. There are no local rent control ordinances, no city-level tenant protection codes, and no Hood County housing regulations beyond what the Texas Property Code requires. That said, Texas does provide meaningful protections covering security deposits, mandatory repairs, eviction procedures, anti-retaliation, and prohibitions on illegal lockouts — and those protections apply fully to every Granbury tenant.
This page summarizes the tenant rights laws most relevant to Granbury renters, with citations to the specific Texas statutes that apply. This information is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. If you have a specific dispute with your landlord, consider contacting a licensed Texas attorney or a local legal aid organization.
Granbury has no rent control, and Texas law prevents any city or county from ever enacting it. Under Tex. Prop. Code § 214.902, municipalities and counties in Texas are expressly prohibited from adopting any ordinance, policy, or rule that would control or limit the amount of rent a private residential landlord may charge. This statewide preemption means that neither the City of Granbury nor Hood County has the legal authority to cap rent increases, require advance notice of rent hikes beyond what a lease may specify, or impose any form of rent stabilization.
In practice, this means your landlord in Granbury can raise your rent by any amount, at any time, as long as they provide sufficient notice before the change takes effect. For month-to-month tenants, that requires at least one month's written notice under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001. For fixed-term leases, the rent is set by the lease agreement and cannot be changed until the lease expires or both parties agree to a modification. There is no state or local cap on how large a rent increase can be, and no requirement that a landlord justify or explain a rent increase.
While Texas does not offer rent control, the Texas Property Code establishes several important tenant protections that apply to every renter in Granbury.
Security Deposits (Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.101–92.109): Landlords must return your security deposit — along with a written, itemized list of any deductions — within 30 days of you surrendering the property. There is no statutory cap on how much a landlord may charge for a deposit. If a landlord wrongfully withholds part or all of the deposit in bad faith, you may be entitled to recover three times the withheld amount plus your attorney's fees under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109.
Habitability and Repairs (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.056): Landlords are legally required to make repairs that materially affect the health or safety of an ordinary tenant. To trigger this obligation, you must give written notice of the condition and be current on your rent. If the landlord fails to repair within a reasonable time (typically 7 days after a second written notice), you may have the right to terminate the lease, repair the condition yourself and deduct the cost from rent (up to the lesser of $500 or one month's rent), or pursue other remedies through Justice of the Peace court.
Notice to Terminate Month-to-Month Tenancy (Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001): If you rent on a month-to-month basis, your landlord must give you at least one month's written notice before terminating the tenancy. You are entitled to the same notice period before vacating as well, unless your lease specifies otherwise.
Anti-Retaliation Protections (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331): Your landlord cannot retaliate against you for exercising a legal right — including requesting repairs, reporting code violations to a housing authority, or contacting a government agency about your unit's condition. Prohibited retaliatory acts include raising rent, reducing services, filing an eviction suit, or threatening any of these actions within six months of your protected activity. If retaliation is proven, you may recover one month's rent plus $500, actual damages, court costs, and attorney's fees (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.333).
Lockout and Utility Shutoff Prohibition (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081): A landlord in Texas is strictly prohibited from locking you out of your residence, removing exterior doors or windows, or interrupting utility services — including electricity, water, or gas — as a means of forcing you to vacate without a court order. This applies even if you are behind on rent. Violating this statute entitles you to regain access to your unit and recover one month's rent or $500 (whichever is greater), actual damages, court costs, and attorney's fees.
Texas law governs security deposits for all Granbury rentals under Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.101–92.109. There is no statutory limit on the dollar amount a landlord may collect as a security deposit in Texas, so the amount is whatever you and your landlord agree to in the lease.
Return Deadline: Your landlord must return your security deposit within 30 days after you surrender the dwelling — meaning you return the keys and vacate the unit. Along with any refund, the landlord must provide a written, itemized statement explaining each deduction. Normal wear and tear cannot be deducted from your deposit under Texas law.
Penalty for Wrongful Withholding: If your landlord retains all or part of your deposit in bad faith — without a valid reason and without providing the required written itemization — you may sue and recover three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus your reasonable attorney's fees, under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109. To preserve your rights, you should provide your landlord with a written forwarding address when you vacate. A landlord is not liable for failing to return a deposit if you did not give a forwarding address.
Practical Tips for Granbury Renters: Document the condition of your unit thoroughly at move-in and move-out with dated photos or video. Deliver your written forwarding address to your landlord in writing on or before your move-out date. If your landlord fails to return the deposit or the itemization within 30 days, send a written demand letter before filing a small claims case in Hood County Justice of the Peace Court.
Texas eviction law — formally called a forcible detainer action — applies in full to all Granbury rentals. Landlords must follow the statutory court process to remove a tenant; there are no shortcuts, and self-help eviction is illegal.
Step 1 — Written Notice to Vacate (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005): Before filing in court, a landlord must serve you with a written notice to vacate. For nonpayment of rent, the minimum notice period is 3 days (unless your lease specifies a longer period). For lease violations or month-to-month terminations, the notice period is typically 1 month under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001, though lease terms may modify this. Notice must be delivered in person, by mail, or by posting on the inside of the main entry door.
Step 2 — Filing in Justice of the Peace Court: If you do not vacate after proper notice, the landlord may file a forcible detainer suit in the Hood County Justice of the Peace Court (Precinct 1, located in Granbury). You will be served with a citation and given a court date, typically set within 10–21 days of filing.
Step 3 — The Hearing: Both parties appear before the Justice of the Peace. You have the right to present a defense. If the landlord wins, the judge issues a judgment for possession. You then have 5 days to appeal to the Hood County Court at Law before the landlord can obtain a writ of possession.
Step 4 — Writ of Possession: If you do not appeal or vacate after the judgment, the landlord may request a writ of possession. A constable will post a 24-hour notice and then physically remove you and your belongings if necessary.
No Just Cause Requirement: Texas does not require landlords to have a specific reason (just cause) to evict a tenant at the end of a lease term or with proper notice on a month-to-month tenancy. However, landlords cannot evict in retaliation for a protected activity under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331.
Self-Help Eviction Is Illegal (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081): A landlord cannot lock you out, remove your belongings, shut off utilities, or otherwise force you out without a court order. If this happens, you may immediately seek a court order restoring your access and recover damages of at least one month's rent or $500, whichever is greater, plus attorney's fees.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Tenant rights laws can change, and the application of any law depends on the specific facts of your situation. RentCheckMe makes no warranty that this information is current, complete, or accurate as of the date you read it. If you have a dispute with your landlord or need guidance about your specific circumstances, consult a licensed Texas attorney or contact a qualified legal aid organization in your area. Do not rely solely on this page to make legal decisions.
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