Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Texas?

No. A landlord who locks out, removes property or cuts a utility to force a tenant out is liable for one month’s rent plus $1,000, actual damages, attorney fees and costs. Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.0081, 92.008. In Texas a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by Tex. Prop. Code §§ 24.005, 24.0051, 24.0061, 92.0081; Tex. R. Civ. P. 500–510.

WhatTexas
Changing the locks, cutting a utility or removing belongingsUnlawful
Who may remove a tenantOnly a court officer acting on a court order

Notes

The three-day notice to vacate is the default and the lease may change it — many Texas leases shorten it to 24 hours, which is enforceable. Check the lease before assuming three days.

Source

Tex. Prop. Code §§ 24.005, 24.0051, 24.0061, 92.0081; Tex. R. Civ. P. 500–510 — last checked 2026-09-16.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

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