Can a landlord retaliate against a tenant for complaining in Texas?
No. In Texas, for six months after a tenant in good faith exercises a legal right, gives a repair notice, complains to a code agency or utility, or joins a tenant organization, a landlord may not retaliate by filing an eviction, cutting services, raising the rent or ending the lease. An eviction is not retaliation if the tenant is behind on rent, damaged the property, threatened someone’s safety, or materially breached the lease. Separately, the federal Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to threaten or interfere with anyone for exercising fair housing rights. This is Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.331, 92.332.
| What | Texas |
|---|---|
| Retaliation by a landlord | Prohibited by statute |
| Time period in the statute | Barred for 6 months |
| How the period works | The protection is tied to a fixed period |
Source
Tex. Prop. Code §§ 92.331, 92.332
Read the statute in the Texas Statutes (Texas Legislature): statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
Checked against the statute on October 23, 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
When an owner prepares an eviction in Seayora, it lists any repair request opened on the unit in the last 180 days that is still open, not to stop the case but because the tenant will raise retaliation and the owner should have an answer. Every repair request keeps the date it was filed.
Guides on this rule
- Landlord Retaliation Laws: Protected Tenant Acts and Time Limits — When an eviction, rent increase or cut in services is presumed retaliatory: 180 days in California, six months in Texas, a year in New York.
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The same question in other states
- Alabama
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