What happens if a tenant breaks a lease in Texas?
In Texas, a landlord has a duty to mitigate damages if a tenant abandons the leased premises in violation of the lease. A lease provision that tries to waive this duty or to exempt the landlord from it is void. Separately, federal law lets a servicemember end a lease early after receiving qualifying military orders. This is Tex. Prop. Code § 91.006.
| What | Texas |
|---|---|
| Landlord’s duty to re-rent | Required by statute |
| What it means | The landlord must make reasonable efforts to re-rent |
Source
Tex. Prop. Code § 91.006
Read the statute in the Texas Statutes (Texas Legislature): statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 13, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora keeps every lease’s term, rent and signers in one record and dates every change to it. This page states the state’s rule so a lease’s own early-termination and sublet clauses can be checked against it before the lease is signed.
Guides on this rule
- Breaking a Lease by State: What the Tenant Owes — What a tenant owes after leaving a lease early, and the 34 states whose statutes say whether the landlord must try to re-rent the home.
Compare this rule in every state
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- Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Texas?
- Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Texas?
- Can a tenant repair and deduct from rent in Texas?
- Can a tenant sublet in Texas?
- Do contractors charge sales tax in Texas?
- Is appliance repair taxable in Texas?
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- Every Texas rule on one page
The same question in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas