TEXAS PROPERTY CODE

TITLE 8. LANDLORD AND TENANT

CHAPTER 92. RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES

SUBCHAPTER D. SECURITY DEVICES


	§ 92.151. DEFINITIONS.  In this subchapter:                                 
		(1)  "Doorknob lock" means a lock in a doorknob, with 
the lock operated from the exterior by a key, card, or combination 
and from the interior without a key, card, or combination.
		(2)  "Door viewer" means a permanently installed device 
in an exterior door that allows a person inside the dwelling to view 
a person outside the door.  The device must be:
			(A)  a clear glass pane or one-way mirror;  or                               
			(B)  a peephole having a barrel with a one-way 
lens of glass or other substance providing an angle view of not less 
than 160 degrees.
		(3)  "Exterior door" means a door providing access from 
a dwelling interior to the exterior.  The term includes a door 
between a living area and a garage but does not include a sliding 
glass door or a screen door.
		(4)  "French doors" means a set of two exterior doors in 
which each door is hinged and abuts the other door when closed.  The 
term includes double-hinged patio doors.
		(5)  "Keyed dead bolt" means:                                                 
			(A)  a door lock not in the doorknob that:                                   
				(i)  locks with a bolt into the doorjamb;  
and                            
				(ii)  is operated from the exterior by a key, 
card, or combination and from the interior by a knob or lever 
without a key, card, or combination;  or
			(B)  a doorknob lock that contains a bolt with at 
least a one-inch throw.  
		(6)  "Keyless bolting device" means a door lock not in 
the doorknob that locks:
			(A)  with a bolt into a strike plate screwed into 
the portion of the doorjamb surface that faces the edge of the door 
when the door is closed or into a metal doorjamb that serves as the 
strike plate, operable only by knob or lever from the door's 
interior and not in any manner from the door's exterior, and that is 
commonly known as a keyless dead bolt;
			(B)  by a drop bolt system operated by placing a 
central metal plate over a metal doorjamb restraint that protrudes 
from the doorjamb and that is affixed to the doorjamb frame by means 
of three case-hardened screws at least three inches in length.  
One-half of the central plate must overlap the interior surface of 
the door and the other half of the central plate must overlap the 
doorjamb when the plate is placed over the doorjamb restraint.  The 
drop bolt system must prevent the door from being opened unless the 
central plate is lifted off of the doorjamb restraint by a person 
who is on the interior side of the door.
		The term "keyless bolting device" does not include a 
chain latch, flip latch, surface-mounted slide bolt, mortise door 
bolt, surface-mounted barrel bolt, surface-mounted swing bar door 
guard, spring-loaded nightlatch, foot bolt, or other lock or latch;  
or
			(C)  by a metal bar or metal tube that is placed 
across the entire interior side of the door and secured in place at 
each end of the bar or tube by heavy-duty metal screw hooks.  The 
screw hooks must be at least three inches in length and must be 
screwed into the door frame stud or wall stud on each side of the 
door.  The bar or tube must be capable of being secured to both of 
the screw hooks and must be permanently attached in some way to the 
door frame stud or wall stud.  When secured to the screw hooks, the 
bar or tube must prevent the door from being opened unless the bar 
or tube is removed by a person who is on the interior side of the 
door.
		(7)  "Landlord" means a dwelling owner, lessor, 
sublessor, management company, or managing agent, including an 
on-site manager.
		(8)  "Multiunit complex" means two or more dwellings in 
one or more buildings that are:
			(A)  under common ownership;                                                 
			(B)  managed by the same owner, agent, or 
management company;  and         
			(C)  located on the same lot or tract or adjacent 
lots or tracts of land.  
		(9)  "Possession of a dwelling" means occupancy by a 
tenant under a lease, including occupancy until the time the tenant 
moves out or a writ of possession is issued by a court.  The term 
does not include occupancy before the initial occupancy date 
authorized under a lease.
		(10)  "Rekey" means to change or alter a security 
device that is operated by a key, card, or combination so that a 
different key, card, or combination is necessary to operate the 
security device.
		(11)  "Security device" means a doorknob lock, door 
viewer, keyed dead bolt, keyless bolting device, sliding door 
handle latch, sliding door pin lock, sliding door security bar, or 
window latch in a dwelling.
		(12)  "Sliding door handle latch" means a latch or 
lock:                    
			(A)  located near the handle on a sliding glass 
door;                      
			(B)  operated with or without a key;  and                                    
			(C)  designed to prevent the door from being 
opened.                       
		(13)  "Sliding door pin lock" means a lock on a sliding 
glass door that consists of a pin or nail inserted from the interior 
side of the door at the side opposite the door's handle and that is 
designed to prevent the door from being opened or lifted.
		(14)  "Sliding door security bar" means a bar or rod 
that can be placed at the bottom of or across the interior side of 
the fixed panel of a sliding glass door and that is designed to 
prevent the door from being opened.
		(15)  "Tenant turnover date" means the date a tenant 
moves into a dwelling under a lease after all previous occupants 
have moved out.  The term does not include dates of entry or 
occupation not authorized by the landlord.
		(16)  "Window latch" means a device on a window that 
prevents the window from being opened and that is operated without a 
key and only from the interior.

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993;  Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 16, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999.


	§ 92.152. APPLICATION OF SUBCHAPTER.  (a) This subchapter 
does not apply to:
		(1)  a room in a hotel, motel, or inn or to similar 
transient housing;      
		(2)  residential housing owned or operated by a public 
or private college or university accredited by a recognized 
accrediting agency as defined under Section 61.003, Education Code;
		(3)  residential housing operated by preparatory 
schools accredited by the Texas Education Agency, a regional 
accrediting agency, or any accrediting agency recognized by the 
commissioner of education;  or
		(4)  a temporary residential tenancy created by a 
contract for sale in which the buyer occupies the property before 
closing or the seller occupies the property after closing for a 
specific term not to exceed 90 days.
	(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (a), a dwelling to 
which this subchapter applies includes:
		(1)  a room in a dormitory or rooming house;                                  
		(2)  a mobile home;                                                           
		(3)  a single family house, duplex, or triplex;  and                          
		(4)  a living unit in an apartment, condominium, 
cooperative, or townhome project.

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993;  Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 126, § 1, eff. Aug. 28, 1995;  
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 869, § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1996.


	§ 92.153. SECURITY DEVICES REQUIRED WITHOUT NECESSITY OF 
TENANT REQUEST.  (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b), (e), 
(f), (g), and (h) and without necessity of request by the tenant, a 
dwelling must be equipped with:
		(1)  a window latch on each exterior window of the 
dwelling;                
		(2)  a doorknob lock or keyed dead bolt on each exterior 
door;              
		(3)  a sliding door pin lock on each exterior sliding 
glass door of the dwelling;
		(4)  a sliding door handle latch or a sliding door 
security bar on each exterior sliding glass door of the dwelling;  
and
		(5)  a keyless bolting device and a door viewer on each 
exterior door of the dwelling.
	(b)  If the dwelling has French doors, one door of each pair 
of French doors must meet the requirements of Subsection (a) and the 
other door must have:
		(1)  a keyed dead bolt or keyless bolting device 
capable of insertion into the doorjamb above the door and a keyless 
bolting device capable of insertion into the floor or threshold, 
each with a bolt having a throw of one inch or more;  or
		(2)  a bolt installed inside the door and operated from 
the edge of the door, capable of insertion into the doorjamb above 
the door, and another bolt installed inside the door and operated 
from the edge of the door capable of insertion into the floor or 
threshold, each bolt having a throw of three-fourths inch or more.
	(c)  A security device required by Subsection (a) or (b) must 
be installed at the landlord's expense.
	(d)  Subsections (a) and (b) apply only when a tenant is in 
possession of a dwelling.
	(e)  A keyless bolting device is not required to be installed 
at the landlord's expense on an exterior door if:
		(1)  the dwelling is part of a multiunit complex in 
which the majority of dwelling units are leased to tenants who are 
over 55 years of age or who have a physical or mental disability;
		(2)  a tenant or occupant in the dwelling is over 55 
years of age or has a physical or mental disability;  and
		(3)  the landlord is expressly required or permitted to 
periodically check on the well-being or health of the tenant as a 
part of a written lease or other written agreement.
	(f)  A keyless bolting device is not required to be installed 
at the landlord's expense if a tenant or occupant in the dwelling is 
over 55 years of age or has a physical or mental disability, the 
tenant requests, in writing, that the landlord deactivate or not 
install the keyless bolting device, and the tenant certifies in the 
request that the tenant or occupant is over 55 years of age or has a 
physical or mental disability.  The request must be a separate 
document and may not be included as part of a lease agreement.  A 
landlord is not exempt as provided by this subsection if the 
landlord knows or has reason to know that the requirements of this 
subsection are not fulfilled.
	(g)  A keyed dead bolt or a doorknob lock is not required to 
be installed at the landlord's expense on an exterior door if at the 
time the tenant agrees to lease the dwelling:
		(1)  at least one exterior door usable for normal entry 
into the dwelling has both a keyed dead bolt and a keyless bolting 
device, installed in accordance with the height, strike plate, and 
throw requirements of Section 92.154;  and
		(2)  all other exterior doors have a keyless bolting 
device installed in accordance with the height, strike plate, and 
throw requirements of Section 92.154.
	(h)  A security device required by this section must be 
operable throughout the time a tenant is in possession of a 
dwelling.  However, a landlord may deactivate or remove the locking 
mechanism of a doorknob lock or remove any device not qualifying as 
a keyless bolting device if a keyed dead bolt has been installed on 
the same door.
	(i)  A landlord is subject to the tenant remedies provided by 
Section 92.164(a)(4) if the landlord:
		(1)  deactivates or does not install a keyless bolting 
device, claiming an exemption under Subsection (e), (f), or (g);  
and
		(2)  knows or has reason to know that the requirements 
of the subsection granting the exemption are not fulfilled.

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993;  Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 869, § 3, eff. Jan. 1, 1996.


	§ 92.154. HEIGHT, STRIKE PLATE, AND THROW 
REQUIREMENTS--KEYED DEAD BOLT OR KEYLESS BOLTING DEVICE.  (a) A 
keyed dead bolt or a keyless bolting device required by this 
subchapter must be installed at a height:
		(1)  not lower than 36 inches from the floor;  and                            
		(2)  not higher than:                                                         
			(A)  54 inches from the floor, if installed before 
September 1, 1993;  or  
			(B)  48 inches from the floor, if installed on or 
after September 1, 1993. 
	(b)  A keyed dead bolt or a keyless bolting device described 
in Section 92.151(6)(A) or (B) in a dwelling must:
		(1)  have a strike plate screwed into the portion of the 
doorjamb surface that faces the edge of the door when the door is 
closed;  or
		(2)  be installed in a door with a metal doorjamb that 
serves as the strike plate.
	(c)  A keyed dead bolt or keyless dead bolt, as described by 
Section 92.151(6)(A), installed in a dwelling on or after September 
1, 1993, must have a bolt with a throw of not less than one inch.
	(d)  The requirements of this section do not apply to a keyed 
dead bolt or a keyless bolting device in one door of a pair of French 
doors that is installed in accordance with the requirements of 
Section 92.153(b)(1) or (2).

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.       


	§ 92.155. HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS--SLIDING DOOR SECURITY 
DEVICES.  A sliding door pin lock or sliding door security bar 
required by this subchapter must be installed at a height not higher 
than:
		(1)  54 inches from the floor, if installed before 
September 1, 1993;  or   
		(2)  48 inches from the floor, if installed on or after 
September 1, 1993.  

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.       


	§ 92.156. REKEYING OR CHANGE OF SECURITY DEVICES.  (a) A 
security device operated by a key, card, or combination shall be 
rekeyed by the landlord at the landlord's expense not later than the 
seventh day after each tenant turnover date.
	(b)  A landlord shall perform additional rekeying or change a 
security device at the tenant's expense if requested by the tenant.  
A tenant may make an unlimited number of requests under this 
subsection.
	(c)  The expense of rekeying security devices for purposes of 
the use or change of the landlord's master key must be paid by the 
landlord.
	(d)  This section does not apply to locks on closet doors or 
other interior doors.

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.       


	§ 92.157. SECURITY DEVICES REQUESTED BY TENANT.  (a) At a 
tenant's request made at any time, a landlord, at the tenant's 
expense, shall install:
		(1)  a keyed dead bolt on an exterior door if the door 
has:                 
			(A)  a doorknob lock but not a keyed dead bolt;  or                          
			(B)  a keyless bolting device but not a keyed dead 
bolt or doorknob lock;  and
		(2)  a sliding door pin lock or sliding door security 
bar if the door is an exterior sliding glass door without a sliding 
door pin lock or sliding door security bar.
	(b)  At a tenant's request made before January 1, 1995, a 
landlord, at the tenant's expense, shall install on an exterior 
door of a dwelling constructed before September 1, 1993:
		(1)  a keyless bolting device if the door does not have 
a keyless bolting device;  and
		(2)  a door viewer if the door does not have a door 
viewer.                 
	(c)  If a security device required by Section 92.153 to be 
installed on or after January 1, 1995, without necessity of a 
tenant's request has not been installed by the landlord, the tenant 
may request the landlord to immediately install it, and the 
landlord shall immediately install it at the landlord's expense.

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.       


	§ 92.158. LANDLORD'S DUTY TO REPAIR OR REPLACE SECURITY 
DEVICE.  During the lease term and any renewal period, a landlord 
shall repair or replace a security device on request or 
notification by the tenant that the security device is inoperable 
or in need of repair or replacement.

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.       


	§ 92.159. WHEN TENANT'S REQUEST OR NOTICE MUST BE IN 
WRITING.  A tenant's request or notice under this subchapter may be 
given orally unless the tenant has a written lease that requires the 
request or notice to be in writing and that requirement is 
underlined or in boldfaced print in the lease.

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.       


	§ 92.160. TYPE, BRAND, AND MANNER OF 
INSTALLATION.  Except as otherwise required by this subchapter, a 
landlord may select the type, brand, and manner of installation, 
including placement, of a security device installed under this 
subchapter.  This section does not apply to a security device 
installed, repaired, changed, replaced, or rekeyed by a tenant 
under Section 92.164(a)(1) or 92.165(1).

Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.       


	§ 92.161. COMPLIANCE WITH TENANT REQUEST REQUIRED WITHIN 
REASONABLE TIME.  (a) Except as provided by Subsections (b) and 
(c), a landlord must comply with a tenant's request for rekeying, 
changing, installing, repairing, or replacing a security device 
under Section 92.156, 92.157, or 92.158 within a reasonable time.  A 
reasonable time for purposes of this subsection is presumed to be 
not later than the seventh day after the date the request is 
received by the landlord.
	(b)  If within the time allowed under Section 92.162(c) a 
landlord requests advance payment of charges that the landlord is 
entitled to collect under that section, the landlord shall comply 
with a tenant's request under Section 92.156(b), 92.157(a), or 
92.157(b) within a reasonable time.  A reasonable time for purposes 
of this subsection is presumed to be not later than the seventh day 
after the date a tenant's advance payment is received by the 
landlord, except as provided by Subsection (c).
	(c)  A reasonable time for purposes of Subsections (a) and 
(b) is presumed to be not later than 72 hours after the time of 
receipt of the tenant's request and any required advance payment if 
at the time of making the request the tenant informed the landlord 
that:
		(1)  an unauthorized entry occurred or was attempted in 
the tenant's dwelling;
		(2)  an unauthorized entry occurred or was attempted in 
another unit in the multiunit complex in which the tenant's 
dwelling is located during the two months preceding the date of the 
request;  or
		(3)  a crime of personal violence occurred in the 
multiunit complex in which the tenant's dwelling is located during 
the two months preceding the date of the request.
	(d)  A landlord may rebut the presumption provided by 
Subsection (a) or (b) if despite the diligence of the landlord:
		(1)  the landlord did not know of the tenant's request, 
without the fault of the landlord;
		(2)  materials, labor, or utilities were unavailable;  
or                   
		(3)  a delay was caused by circumstances beyond the 
landlord's control, including the illness or death of the landlord 
or a member of the landlord's immediate family.
	(e)  This section does not apply to a landlord's duty to 
install or rekey, without necessity of a tenant's request, a 
security device under Section 92.153 or 92.156(a).

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.162. PAYMENT OF CHARGES;  LIMITS ON AMOUNT 
CHARGED.  (a) A landlord may not require a tenant to pay for repair 
or replacement of a security device due to normal wear and tear.  A 
landlord may not require a tenant to pay for other repairs or 
replacements of a security device except as provided by Subsections 
(b), (c), and (d).
	(b)  A landlord may require a tenant to pay for repair or 
replacement of a security device if an underlined provision in a 
written lease authorizes the landlord to do so and the repair or 
replacement is necessitated by misuse or damage by the tenant, a 
member of the tenant's family, an occupant, or a guest, and not by 
normal wear and tear.  Misuse of or damage to a security device that 
occurs during the tenant's occupancy is presumed to be caused by the 
tenant, a family member, an occupant, or a guest.  The tenant has 
the burden of proving that the misuse or damage was caused by 
another party.
	(c)  A landlord may require a tenant to pay in advance 
charges for which the tenant is liable under this subchapter if a 
written lease authorizes the landlord to require advance payment, 
and the landlord notifies the tenant within a reasonable time after 
the tenant's request that advance payment is required, and:
		(1)  the tenant is more than 30 days delinquent in 
reimbursing the landlord for charges to which the landlord is 
entitled under Subsection (b);  or
		(2)  the tenant requested that the landlord repair, 
install, change, or rekey the same security device during the 30 
days preceding the tenant's request, and the landlord complied with 
the request.
	(d)  A landlord authorized by this subchapter to charge a 
tenant for repairing, installing, changing, or rekeying a security 
device under this subchapter may not require the tenant to pay more 
than the total cost charged by a third-party contractor for 
material, labor, taxes, and extra keys.  If the landlord's 
employees perform the work, the charge may include a reasonable 
amount for overhead but may not include a profit to the landlord.  
If management company employees perform the work, the charge may 
include reasonable overhead and profit but may not exceed the cost 
charged to the owner by the management company for comparable 
security devices installed by management company employees at the 
owner's request and expense.
	(e)  The owner of a dwelling shall reimburse a management 
company, managing agent, or on-site manager for costs expended by 
that person in complying with this subchapter.  A management 
company, managing agent, or on-site manager may reimburse itself 
for the costs from the owner's funds in its possession or control.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.163. REMOVAL OR ALTERATION OF SECURITY DEVICE BY 
TENANT.  A security device that is installed, changed, or rekeyed 
under this subchapter becomes a fixture of the dwelling.  Except as 
provided by Section 92.164(a)(1) or 92.165(1) regarding the remedy 
of repair-and-deduct, a tenant may not remove, change, rekey, 
replace, or alter a security device or have it removed, changed, 
rekeyed, replaced, or altered without permission of the landlord.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.164. TENANT REMEDIES FOR LANDLORD'S FAILURE TO 
INSTALL OR REKEY CERTAIN SECURITY DEVICES.  (a) If a landlord does 
not comply with Section 92.153 or 92.156(a) regarding installation 
or rekeying of a security device, the tenant may:
		(1)  install or rekey the security device as required 
by this subchapter and deduct the reasonable cost of material, 
labor, taxes, and extra keys from the tenant's next rent payment, in 
accordance with Section 92.166;
		(2)  serve a written request for compliance on the 
landlord, and, except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), if the 
landlord does not comply on or before the third day after the date 
the notice is received, unilaterally terminate the lease without 
court proceedings;
		(3)  file suit against the landlord without serving a 
request for compliance and obtain a judgment for:
			(A)  a court order directing the landlord to 
comply, if the tenant is in possession of the dwelling;
			(B)  the tenant's actual damages;                                            
			(C)  court costs;  and                                                       
			(D)  attorney's fees except in suits for recovery 
of property damages, personal injuries, or wrongful death;  and
		(4)  serve a written request for compliance on the 
landlord, and, except as provided by Subsections (b) and (c), if the 
landlord does not comply on or before the third day after the date 
the notice is received, file suit against the landlord and obtain a 
judgment for:
			(A)  a court order directing the landlord to 
comply and bring all dwellings owned by the landlord into 
compliance, if the tenant serving the written request is in 
possession of the dwelling;
			(B)  the tenant's actual damages;                                            
			(C)  punitive damages if the tenant suffers actual 
damages;                
			(D)  a civil penalty of one month's rent plus 
$500;                        
			(E)  court costs;  and                                                       
			(F)  attorney's fees except in suits for recovery 
of property damages, personal injuries, or wrongful death.
	(b)  A tenant may not unilaterally terminate the lease under 
Subsection (a)(2) or file suit against the landlord to obtain a 
judgment under Subsection (a)(4) unless the landlord does not 
comply on or before the seventh day after the date the written 
request for compliance is received if the lease includes language 
underlined or in boldface print that in substance provides the 
tenant with notice that:
		(1)  the landlord at the landlord's expense is required 
to equip the dwelling, when the tenant takes possession, with the 
security devices described by Sections 92.153(a)(1)-(4) and (6);
		(2)  the landlord is not required to install a doorknob 
lock or keyed dead bolt at the landlord's expense if the exterior 
doors meet the requirements of Section 92.153(f);
		(3)  the landlord is not required to install a keyless 
bolting device at the landlord's expense on an exterior door if the 
landlord is expressly required or permitted to periodically check 
on the well-being or health of the tenant as provided by Section 
92.153(e)(3);  and
		(4)  the tenant has the right to install or rekey a 
security device required by this subchapter and deduct the 
reasonable cost from the tenant's next rent payment, as provided by 
Subsection (a)(1).
	(c)  Regardless of whether the lease contains language 
complying with the requirements of Subsection (b), the additional 
time for landlord compliance provided by Subsection (b) does not 
apply if at the time the tenant served the written request for 
compliance on the landlord the tenant informed the landlord that an 
unauthorized entry occurred or was attempted in the tenant's 
dwelling, an unauthorized entry occurred or was attempted in 
another unit in the multiunit complex in which the tenant's 
dwelling is located during the two months preceding the date of the 
request, or a crime of personal violence occurred in the multiunit 
complex in which the tenant's dwelling is located during the two 
months preceding the date of the request, unless despite the 
diligence of the landlord:
		(1)  the landlord did not know of the tenant's request, 
without the fault of the landlord;
		(2)  materials, labor, or utilities were unavailable;  
or                   
		(3)  a delay was caused by circumstances beyond the 
landlord's control, including the illness or death of the landlord 
or a member of the landlord's immediate family.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.1641. LANDLORD'S DEFENSES RELATING TO INSTALLING OR 
REKEYING CERTAIN SECURITY DEVICES.  The landlord has a defense to 
liability under Section 92.164 if:
		(1)  the tenant has not fully paid all rent then due 
from the tenant on the date the tenant gives a request under 
Subsection (a) of Section 92.157 or the notice required by Section 
92.164;  or
		(2)  on the date the tenant terminates the lease or 
files suit the tenant has not fully paid costs requested by the 
landlord and authorized by Section 92.162.

Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 3645, ch. 576, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1984.  
Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 48, § 17, eff. Sept. 1, 
1993.  Renumbered from V.T.C.A., Property Code § 92.158 and 
amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, § 17.001(a), eff. 
Sept. 1, 2001.


	§ 92.165. TENANT REMEDIES FOR OTHER LANDLORD 
VIOLATIONS.  If a landlord does not comply with a tenant's request 
regarding rekeying, changing, adding, repairing, or replacing a 
security device under Section 92.156(b), 92.157, or 92.158 in 
accordance with the time limits and other requirements of this 
subchapter, the tenant may:
		(1)  install, repair, change, replace, or rekey the 
security devices as required by this subchapter and deduct the 
reasonable cost of material, labor, taxes, and extra keys from the 
tenant's next rent payment in accordance with Section 92.166;
		(2)  unilaterally terminate the lease without court 
proceedings;  and       
		(3)  file suit against the landlord and obtain a 
judgment for:              
			(A)  a court order directing the landlord to 
comply, if the tenant is in possession of the dwelling;
			(B)  the tenant's actual damages;                                            
			(C)  punitive damages if the tenant suffers actual 
damages and the landlord's failure to comply is intentional, 
malicious, or grossly negligent;
			(D)  a civil penalty of one month's rent plus 
$500;                        
			(E)  court costs;  and                                                       
			(F)  attorney's fees except in suits for recovery 
of property damages, personal injuries, or wrongful death.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.166. NOTICE OF TENANT'S DEDUCTION OF REPAIR COSTS 
FROM RENT.  (a) A tenant shall notify the landlord of a rent 
deduction attributable to the tenant's installing, repairing, 
changing, replacing, or rekeying of a security device under Section 
92.164(a)(1) or 92.165(1) after the landlord's failure to comply 
with this subchapter.  The notice must be given at the time of the 
reduced rent payment.
	(b)  Unless otherwise provided in a written lease, a tenant 
shall provide one duplicate of the key to any key-operated security 
device installed or rekeyed by the tenant under Section 
92.164(a)(1) or 92.165(1) within a reasonable time after the 
landlord's written request for the key.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.167. LANDLORD'S DEFENSES RELATING TO COMPLIANCE WITH 
TENANT'S REQUEST.  (a) A landlord has a defense to liability under 
Section 92.165 if on the date the tenant terminates the lease or 
files suit the tenant has not fully paid costs requested by the 
landlord and authorized by this subchapter.
	(b)  A management company or managing agent who is not the 
owner of a dwelling and who has not purported to be the owner in the 
lease has a defense to liability under Sections 92.164 and 92.165 if 
before the date the tenant is in possession of the dwelling or the 
date of the tenant's request for installation, repair, replacement, 
change, or rekeying and before any property damage or personal 
injury to the tenant, the management company or managing agent:
		(1)  did not have funds of the dwelling owner in its 
possession or control with which to comply with this subchapter;
		(2)  made written request to the dwelling owner that 
the owner fund and allow installation, repair, change, replacement, 
or rekeying of security devices as required under this subchapter 
and mailed the request, certified mail return receipt requested, to 
the dwelling owner;  and
		(3)  not later than the third day after the date of 
receipt of the tenant's request, provided the tenant with a written 
notice:
			(A)  stating that the management company or 
managing agent has taken the actions in Subdivisions (1) and (2);
			(B)  stating that the owner has not provided or 
will not provide the necessary funds;  and
			(C)  explaining the remedies available to the 
tenant for the landlord's failure to comply.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.  
Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, § 17.001(b), eff. 
Sept. 1, 2001.


	§ 92.168. TENANT'S REMEDY ON NOTICE FROM MANAGEMENT 
COMPANY.  The tenant may unilaterally terminate the lease or 
exercise other remedies under Sections 92.164 and 92.165 after 
receiving written notice from a management company that the owner 
of the dwelling has not provided or will not provide funds to 
repair, install, change, replace, or rekey a security device as 
required by this subchapter.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.169. AGENT FOR DELIVERY OF NOTICE.  A managing agent 
or an agent to whom rent is regularly paid, whether residing or 
maintaining an office on-site or off-site, is the agent of the 
landlord for purposes of notice and other communications required 
or permitted by this subchapter.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.           


	§ 92.170. EFFECT ON OTHER LANDLORD DUTIES AND TENANT 
REMEDIES.  The duties of a landlord and the remedies of a tenant 
under this subchapter are in lieu of common law, other statutory 
law, and local ordinances relating to a residential landlord's duty 
to install, change, rekey, repair, or replace security devices and 
a tenant's remedies for the landlord's failure to install, change, 
rekey, repair, or replace security devices, except that a municipal 
ordinance adopted before January 1, 1993, may require installation 
of security devices at the landlord's expense by an earlier date 
than a date required by this subchapter.  This subchapter does not 
affect a duty of a landlord or a remedy of a tenant under Subchapter 
B  regarding habitability.

Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, § 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.