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Horizon City is a fast-growing municipality in eastern El Paso County, Texas, with a predominantly working-class and Hispanic renter population. As the city continues to expand with new housing developments, many residents rent homes and apartments and need to understand the protections available to them under Texas state law.
Because Horizon City has no local tenant ordinances beyond what the state provides, renters here rely entirely on the Texas Property Code for their core protections — covering security deposits, habitability, retaliation, and the eviction process. Landlords in Horizon City cannot raise rent by a capped amount, but they must follow specific rules on notice, repairs, and returning deposits.
This page explains your rights as a renter in Horizon City, Texas, citing the specific statutes that apply. This information is provided for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. If you have a specific legal problem, contact a licensed attorney or a free legal aid organization serving El Paso County.
Horizon City has no rent control, and none is permitted under Texas law. The Texas Legislature has explicitly preempted all local governments — including cities and counties — from enacting rent control ordinances. This prohibition is codified at Tex. Prop. Code § 214.902, which states that a political subdivision of the state may not enact, enforce, or maintain any ordinance or other measure that controls the price of rent charged for residential rental housing.
In practical terms, this means your landlord in Horizon City can raise your rent by any dollar amount at any time, as long as they provide the required written notice before the increase takes effect. For month-to-month tenants, that notice period is at least one month under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001. For tenants with a fixed-term lease, rent can only be changed at renewal — the amount in your signed lease is locked in for its duration.
There is no pending local ordinance or ballot measure in Horizon City that would change this. Renters who are concerned about large rent increases should carefully review their lease terms and understand the notice rights described below.
While Horizon City has no local tenant ordinances, the Texas Property Code provides several meaningful statewide protections that apply to every renter in the city.
Security Deposits (Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.101–92.109): Texas law does not cap the amount a landlord can charge for a security deposit, but it strictly governs how and when deposits must be returned. After you move out, your landlord has 30 days to return your deposit along with a written, itemized statement of any deductions. If the landlord wrongfully withholds all or part of the deposit in bad faith, you may sue for three times the wrongfully withheld amount plus $100, attorney's fees, and court costs under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109.
Habitability & Repairs (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.056): Your landlord must make repairs that materially affect the health or safety of an ordinary tenant within a reasonable time after you give written notice. If the landlord fails to act, you may have the right to terminate the lease, pursue a rent reduction, or use the repair-and-deduct remedy — hiring a contractor and deducting the cost from rent, up to the lesser of $500 or one month's rent. You must follow the specific written notice procedure in § 92.056 to preserve these rights.
Notice to Terminate (Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001): For month-to-month tenancies, either party must give at least one month's written notice before terminating the tenancy. Your lease may specify a longer period, but it cannot lawfully require less than one month's notice from the tenant.
Anti-Retaliation (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331): Your landlord is prohibited from retaliating against you for exercising a legal right — including requesting repairs, reporting code violations to a housing inspector, or contacting a tenant rights organization. Prohibited retaliatory acts include raising rent, reducing services, filing an eviction, or threatening eviction. If retaliation occurs within six months of a protected action, Texas law presumes it is retaliatory, and you may sue for one month's rent plus $500, attorney's fees, and other damages under § 92.333.
Lockout & Utility Shutoff Prohibition (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081): A landlord may not lock you out of your unit, remove exterior doors or windows, or shut off utilities (water, electricity, gas) to force you to leave — these are illegal self-help eviction tactics. If your landlord does any of these things, you have the right to recover possession immediately and may sue for one month's rent plus $1,000, actual damages, and attorney's fees.
Security deposit rules in Horizon City are governed entirely by the Texas Property Code, Chapter 92, Subchapter B (Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.101–92.109).
No statutory cap: Texas law does not limit how much a landlord can charge as a security deposit. The amount is set by your lease. Always get the deposit amount documented in writing before signing.
30-day return deadline: After you vacate the unit, your landlord must return your security deposit — or the balance remaining after lawful deductions — within 30 days, along with an itemized written description of any deductions (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103). The clock starts from the date you surrender possession, not the end of your lease.
Lawful deductions: A landlord may deduct for unpaid rent and for damages beyond normal wear and tear. They may not charge you for ordinary wear and tear on the property (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.104). Keep dated move-in and move-out photos as evidence.
Penalty for wrongful withholding: If a landlord retains your deposit in bad faith — without a written itemized statement or without a legitimate legal justification — you may sue for three times the amount wrongfully withheld plus $100, reasonable attorney's fees, and court costs (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109). To protect your rights, provide written forwarding address to your landlord before or at move-out, since the landlord's obligation to return the deposit is triggered in part by having your address.
Evictions in Horizon City follow the Texas eviction process established under Chapter 24 of the Texas Property Code and the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Landlords must go through the courts — there are no legal shortcuts.
Step 1 — Written Notice to Vacate: Before filing an eviction lawsuit, a landlord must give you a written notice to vacate. The required notice period depends on the reason: for nonpayment of rent, the minimum is 3 days unless your lease specifies otherwise (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005). For other lease violations or end of tenancy (month-to-month), the minimum is also 3 days by statute, though leases often require more. Notice must be delivered in person, posted on the door, or sent by certified mail.
Step 2 — Filing a Forcible Entry and Detainer Suit: If you do not vacate by the deadline in the notice, the landlord may file an eviction suit (called a Forcible Entry and Detainer or FED suit) at the Justice of the Peace court for El Paso County Precinct 7, which covers the Horizon City area. The filing fee is modest, and a hearing is typically scheduled within 10–21 days (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.004).
Step 3 — Hearing: Both you and the landlord appear before the Justice of the Peace. You have the right to present a defense. If the judge rules in the landlord's favor, you have 5 days to appeal to the County Court at Law before a writ of possession can be issued (Tex. Rule of Civ. Pro. 510.9).
Step 4 — Writ of Possession: If you do not appeal or the appeal fails, the court issues a writ of possession and a constable will enforce removal. The landlord cannot remove you before this step.
Self-Help Eviction is Illegal: A landlord who locks you out, removes your belongings, shuts off utilities, or otherwise attempts to remove you without a court order is committing an illegal self-help eviction under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081. You may recover possession of the unit and sue for one month's rent plus $1,000, actual damages, and attorney's fees.
No Just Cause Requirement: Texas does not require landlords to have a specific reason (just cause) to end a tenancy — they must only provide proper notice. However, eviction after a tenant exercises a protected right (repairs request, code complaint) may constitute illegal retaliation under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331.
This page is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Tenant rights laws can change, and local enforcement practices may vary. The information here reflects our understanding of Texas law as of April 2026 but may not reflect recent legislative changes or court decisions. If you are facing an eviction, a deposit dispute, or any other housing legal issue, you should consult a licensed Texas attorney or contact a free legal aid organization such as Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (trla.org) or Texas Law Help (texaslawhelp.org) for advice specific to your situation.
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