Bill Text: TX HB2184 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a tenant's right to terminate a residential lease following certain outages of essential utilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-28 - Filed [HB2184 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB2184-Introduced.html
| 89R5181 RAL-D | ||
| By: Meza | H.B. No. 2184 | |
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| relating to a tenant's right to terminate a residential lease | ||
| following certain outages of essential utilities. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 92, Property Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 92.0175 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 92.0175. RIGHT TO VACATE AND AVOID LIABILITY FOLLOWING | ||
| OUTAGE OF ESSENTIAL UTILITY. (a) In this section, "essential | ||
| utility" means: | ||
| (1) electricity; | ||
| (2) natural gas; or | ||
| (3) water. | ||
| (b) Notwithstanding any other law and except as provided by | ||
| Subsection (c), a tenant of a dwelling that does not have an | ||
| essential utility due to an outage caused directly or indirectly by | ||
| severe weather conditions may terminate the tenant's lease, vacate | ||
| the dwelling, and avoid liability for future rent and any other sums | ||
| due under the lease for terminating the lease and vacating the | ||
| dwelling before the end of the lease term if: | ||
| (1) the tenant notifies the landlord in writing of the | ||
| interruption of the essential utility; | ||
| (2) the essential utility has not been restored before | ||
| 48 hours after the tenant notified the landlord; and | ||
| (3) the tenant notifies the landlord in writing of the | ||
| tenant's intent to immediately terminate the lease because the | ||
| essential utility was not restored. | ||
| (c) This section does not apply during the period a dwelling | ||
| does not have an essential utility because a utility service | ||
| provider intentionally interrupted provision of a utility service. | ||
| (d) This section does not affect the obligations or | ||
| liability of the tenant under the lease before the lease is | ||
| terminated under this section, including the liability of the | ||
| tenant for: | ||
| (1) delinquent, unpaid rent; and | ||
| (2) damages to the leased premises not caused by | ||
| normal wear and tear. | ||
| SECTION 2. Section 92.0175, Property Code, as added by this | ||
| Act, applies only to a lease agreement entered into or renewed on or | ||
| after the effective date of this Act. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect January 1, 2026. | ||
