Why renewals deserve real attention
Every turnover has costs that never show up in the rent: the weeks the home sits empty, paint, cleaning, carpet, lock changes, marketing and showings. A good tenant who pays on time and reports problems early is worth keeping, and the renewal is your chance to keep them at a fair rent.
That does not mean never raising the rent. It means weighing the increase against what a vacancy would really cost. A modest increase a tenant accepts often beats a larger one that sends them looking.
The renewal timeline
Work backward from the lease end date and from the notice period in your lease. Most residential leases require the tenant to give written notice some time before the end date if they will not renew. Your offer needs to reach the tenant well before that deadline so they can make a real choice.
- About 90 days out: review the tenant's payment history, repair requests and the latest inspection report. Decide whether you want to renew.
- About 75 days out: run a rent check against comparable rentals nearby and decide on the new rent and term.
- About 60 days out, or earlier if your lease notice period is longer: send the written renewal offer with a clear response date.
- Before the notice deadline: follow up. If the tenant is leaving, start marketing right away and schedule the move-out inspection.
- Once signed: update the rent amount for autopay and plan any repairs or upgrades promised in the renewal.
Pricing the increase
Base the new rent on the market, not on a habit of raising by a fixed amount every year. Look at homes that are actually comparable: same area, similar size, bedrooms, condition, yard and amenities. Check what has leased recently, not just what is listed, because asking rents on stale listings can be too high.
Then weigh the tenant you have. Someone who has paid on time for years and kept the home in good shape lowers your risk, and that has value. If the market has moved a lot, a step increase over two renewals can keep a good tenant without leaving money on the table for long. If the market has gone flat or soft, holding the rent steady may be the better move.
Rothrock's rental analysis uses current local leasing data, and we recommend a renewal rent for each home we manage. You make the final call.
What Texas law allows
Texas has no rent control, and state law generally keeps cities from adopting it, so there is no statewide cap on the size of an increase. The limits come from the lease, from notice rules and from laws against retaliation and discrimination.
- Fixed-term leases: you generally cannot raise the rent during the term unless the lease allows it. The increase takes effect at renewal.
- Month-to-month tenancies: a change in rent should be given in writing with the notice your lease requires. Where the lease is silent, Texas law requires at least one month's notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and that is the sensible minimum for a rent change too.
- Retaliation: Texas Property Code 92.331 bars a landlord from raising rent, cutting services, refusing to renew or filing an eviction in retaliation for a tenant's good-faith repair request or other protected act, for a period afterward. Keep a clear, documented, market-based reason for every increase.
- Fair housing: increases and renewal decisions must be applied the same way to everyone, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or familial status, under the federal Fair Housing Act.
- Housing assistance: if the tenant uses a housing choice voucher, the housing authority must approve a rent increase, usually with advance notice. See our Section 8 guide.
What goes in the renewal offer
- The new monthly rent and the date it starts.
- The new term and end date. Consider ending terms in late spring or summer, when more renters are looking, rather than over the holidays.
- Any changed terms, such as a new HOA rule, a pet addendum or a change in who handles yard care.
- Any repairs or improvements you agree to make.
- A firm date to accept, and what happens if the tenant does not respond, such as converting to month to month at a stated rate under the lease.
- A way to sign online. Rothrock tenants sign renewals through their tenant login.
When a tenant wants to leave early
Some early departures are protected by law. A tenant who enters military service or receives orders for a permanent change of station or a deployment of 90 days or more can end the lease under Texas Property Code 92.017. A tenant who is a victim of family violence can end the lease under 92.016, and Texas gives similar rights to victims of certain sexual offenses and stalking. Each requires written notice and documentation, and a tenant who follows the statute is released from rent after the termination date. Texas leases should include the statutory statement about them; check yours.
For other reasons, the lease controls, but Texas Property Code 91.006 requires a landlord to mitigate damages when a tenant leaves early. You must make reasonable efforts to re-rent the home, and a lease cannot waive that duty. In practice, getting the home back on the market quickly is good for everyone: the tenant's balance stops when a new lease starts, and your vacancy is shorter.
A negotiated buyout, in writing, is often cleaner than chasing a balance afterward. Whatever the outcome, the deposit is handled as usual: refunded or itemized within 30 days after move-out under Texas Property Code 92.103.
How Rothrock handles renewals
For owners we manage for, the team tracks every lease end date, reviews the tenant's history and the latest quarterly inspection, prices the renewal, and sends you a recommendation before anything goes to the tenant. Once you approve, the offer goes out, the tenant signs online, and the signed renewal lands in your owner portal. If the tenant is leaving, marketing can start before move-out, and there is no management fee while the home sits vacant.
Questions
How much can a landlord raise rent in Texas?
There is no statewide cap. Texas has no rent control. The increase must follow the lease and proper notice, cannot be retaliatory and must be applied without discrimination. The market sets the practical limit.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Texas?
Texas sets no single notice period for rent increases. For a fixed-term lease, the increase takes effect at renewal. For month to month, follow your lease; if it is silent, give at least one month's written notice.
When should I send a lease renewal offer?
Usually about 60 days before the lease ends, and always early enough that the tenant can respond before the move-out notice deadline in the lease.
Can I raise rent in the middle of a lease in Texas?
Generally not during a fixed term unless the lease allows it. Make the change at renewal.
Does a Texas landlord have to re-rent the home if a tenant breaks the lease?
Yes. Texas Property Code 91.006 requires reasonable efforts to mitigate damages, which usually means marketing the home to re-rent it. The duty cannot be waived in the lease.
General information about Texas rules, not legal advice. For a specific situation, speak to a Texas attorney.