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Uvalde is a small city in Uvalde County in Southwest Texas, situated along the Nueces River roughly 85 miles west of San Antonio. Like all Texas renters, Uvalde residents rely entirely on state law for their tenant protections — the city has enacted no local landlord-tenant ordinances beyond what Texas statutes already require.
Renters in Uvalde most commonly ask about security deposit return timelines, what happens when a landlord refuses to make repairs, and what legal steps a landlord must follow before forcing someone out of their home. Texas law provides meaningful answers to all three questions, including the right to pursue damages if a landlord acts unlawfully.
This article summarizes your rights as a renter in Uvalde under Texas law. It is provided for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. If you face an eviction, a deposit dispute, or unsafe living conditions, contact a licensed Texas attorney or a free legal aid organization serving Uvalde County.
Uvalde has no rent control, and Texas state law prevents it from ever enacting one. Tex. Prop. Code § 214.902 expressly prohibits any municipality or county in Texas from adopting a rent control ordinance. This preemption statute means that no matter how local housing costs change, Uvalde City Council cannot legally cap or regulate how much a landlord charges for rent.
In practical terms, a landlord in Uvalde may raise your rent by any amount at the end of a lease term, or with the appropriate advance notice on a month-to-month tenancy. There is no percentage cap, no mandatory review process, and no local board to appeal to. The only protection is the requirement that landlords give you proper written notice before a rent increase takes effect — and that they cannot raise rent in retaliation for you exercising a legal right (see the Anti-Retaliation section below).
Habitability & Repairs (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.056): Every landlord in Texas — including Uvalde — must make repairs that materially affect the health or safety of an ordinary tenant within a reasonable time after receiving written notice. If your landlord fails to act, Texas law gives you several remedies: you may terminate the lease, pursue rent reduction, or use the repair-and-deduct remedy, which allows you to hire a licensed contractor and deduct the cost from rent up to the lesser of $500 or one month's rent. Before exercising repair-and-deduct, you must have given proper written notice and paid your rent in full.
Notice to Terminate a Month-to-Month Tenancy (Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001): If you rent month-to-month in Uvalde, your landlord must give you at least one full month's written notice before terminating the tenancy. You must give the same notice to your landlord if you intend to vacate. A lease can specify a longer notice period, and that longer period will control.
Anti-Retaliation (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.331): Your landlord cannot retaliate against you for requesting repairs, filing a complaint with a housing or building inspector, joining a tenant organization, or exercising any other right granted by Texas law. Retaliatory acts include rent increases, service reductions, threats, and eviction filings. If a landlord retaliates, you may be entitled to one month's rent plus $500, actual damages, court costs, and attorney's fees under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.333.
Lockout & Utility Shutoff Prohibition (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081): Self-help eviction is illegal in Texas. A landlord may not change your locks, remove doors or windows, or cut off your electricity, water, gas, or other utilities to force you out. Doing so entitles the tenant to recover possession of the dwelling, actual damages, one month's rent plus $500, court costs, and attorney's fees. If locked out, you may contact local law enforcement and demand re-entry.
Texas law governs security deposits for all Uvalde rentals under Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.101–92.109. There is no statutory cap on the amount a landlord may charge as a security deposit in Texas, so the amount is whatever is negotiated in your lease.
Return Deadline: After you vacate, your landlord has 30 days to return your security deposit, along with a written, itemized statement of any deductions (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.103). The clock starts when you surrender possession of the unit — meaning you have returned all keys and vacated. If you did not provide a forwarding address in writing, the 30-day period does not begin until your landlord receives it.
Penalty for Wrongful Withholding: If a landlord in bad faith retains all or part of your deposit without providing the required itemized statement, you may recover three times the wrongfully withheld amount, plus $100, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.109). The landlord bears the burden of proving the retention was not in bad faith. Normal wear and tear may not be deducted from your deposit.
Practical Tip: Document the condition of the unit with dated photos or video at move-in and move-out. Send your forwarding address to the landlord in writing — text or email with a read receipt is advisable — as soon as you vacate.
Evictions in Uvalde follow the Texas eviction process governed by Tex. Prop. Code Chapter 24 and the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. A landlord cannot remove you from the property without following every step of this legal process.
Step 1 — Written Notice: Before filing in court, the landlord must give you written notice to vacate. For nonpayment of rent, the notice period is at least 3 days unless the lease specifies otherwise (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005). For lease violations or month-to-month terminations, the required notice period may differ based on the lease or statute. The notice may be delivered in person, posted on the inside of the main entry door, or sent by certified mail.
Step 2 — Filing a Forcible Detainer Suit: If you do not vacate by the deadline in the notice, the landlord may file an eviction (forcible detainer) suit in Uvalde County Justice of the Peace Court. You will be served with a citation and a hearing date, typically scheduled within 10 to 21 days of filing.
Step 3 — The Hearing: Both the landlord and tenant may present evidence at the JP Court hearing. If the judge rules in the landlord's favor, a judgment for possession is entered. You have the right to appeal to Uvalde County Court at Law within 5 days of the judgment by posting an appeal bond (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.007).
Step 4 — Writ of Possession: If you do not appeal or the appeal fails, the landlord may request a writ of possession, which authorizes a constable to remove you and your belongings from the property (Tex. Prop. Code § 24.0061). A constable — not the landlord — carries out the removal.
Self-Help Eviction Is Illegal: At no point may a landlord in Uvalde change your locks, remove your belongings, shut off utilities, or use any other self-help tactic to force you out. These acts violate Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081 and entitle you to damages, one month's rent plus $500, and attorney's fees.
This article is provided for general informational 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. Renters in Uvalde, Texas should verify current statutes and consult a licensed Texas attorney or a qualified legal aid organization before taking action based on the information presented here. RentCheckMe is not a law firm and no attorney-client relationship is created by use of this site.
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