Does a home seller have to disclose the property’s condition in Texas?
In Texas, the seller of a home with not more than one dwelling unit must give the buyer the statutory seller’s disclosure notice on or before the effective date of the purchase contract, and a buyer who signs a contract without it may terminate the contract for any reason within seven days after receiving the notice. The notice is completed to the best of the seller’s belief and knowledge, and a seller who marks information as unknown complies with the law. The seller has no duty to disclose a death by natural causes, suicide or an accident unrelated to the property’s condition. Transfers under a court order or foreclosure sale, between co-owners, to or from a governmental entity and of a new residence never previously occupied are exempt. Federal law separately requires a lead-based paint disclosure when selling most homes built before 1978. This is Tex. Prop. Code § 5.008.
| What | Texas |
|---|---|
| Seller disclosure | Required by the contract date; buyer may cancel in 7 days |
| Kind of rule | A written property condition statement is required |
What the statute says
“If a contract is entered without the seller providing the notice required by this section, the purchaser may terminate the contract for any reason within seven days after receiving the notice.”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
Tex. Prop. Code § 5.008
Read the statute in the Texas Statutes (Texas Legislature): statutes.capitol.texas.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 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
This page states the state’s rule so the costs and paperwork of a sale can be checked against it before a contract is signed. An owner on Seayora keeps each property’s owners of record and its documents in one place.
Guides on this rule
- Seller Disclosure Requirements by State — Whether a home seller must give a written property condition disclosure, with the rule in each of the 48 jurisdictions with a statute.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana