30 to 60 days out: notice and planning
Open your lease before you do anything else. It tells you how much notice you owe, in what form, and whether you must give it even when the lease is ending on its own date. Many Texas leases require written notice before move-out and say that failing to give it can affect the deposit. Texas Property Code 92.103 allows that requirement if it is underlined or in conspicuous bold print in the lease, so take it seriously.
If you need to leave before the lease ends, read the early termination terms. Texas gives specific rights to service members under 92.017 and to survivors of family violence under 92.016. Outside those, an early exit usually means paying a fee or rent until the home is re-rented, depending on your lease.
- Give written notice by the date your lease requires, and keep a copy or the sent email.
- Ask whether the landlord will do a pre-move-out walk-through so you can fix things in time.
- Schedule movers or a truck and book an elevator or HOA move window if needed.
- Find your move-in photos and condition form.
- Pull up your lease section on cleaning, carpet and lawn expectations.
The last two weeks: repairs and cleaning
Normal wear and tear cannot be charged to you under Texas Property Code 92.104. That covers the slow aging of a home from ordinary living: faded paint, light carpet wear, minor scuffs. Damage is different: large holes, pet stains, broken blinds, burns, missing fixtures. The aim is to leave the home as clean as you found it and with nothing broken that you caused.
Work room by room. Clean top to bottom so dust falls onto surfaces you have not cleaned yet.
- Kitchen: inside and outside the oven, stovetop and drip pans, inside the fridge and freezer (empty, wiped, left running unless told otherwise), microwave, dishwasher filter, cabinet shelves, sink and disposal.
- Bathrooms: toilets including the base, tub and shower grout, glass doors, mirrors, vanity drawers, exhaust fan cover.
- Floors: vacuum carpets, mop hard floors, clean baseboards. Check your lease for whether professional carpet cleaning is required and keep the receipt if it is.
- Walls: wipe scuffs and fingerprints. Fill small nail holes only if your lease allows it, and never paint without permission.
- Windows and blinds: dust blinds, clean sills and tracks.
- Light fixtures: replace burned-out bulbs and wipe covers.
- AC filter: put in a fresh one of the right size.
- Garage and yard: remove everything, sweep the garage, mow and leave the yard as the lease requires. Bag leaves and trash for pickup.
- Remove every item you own, including from the attic, shed and side yard. Leftover belongings and trash are a common deduction.
Move-out day
Once the home is empty and clean, document it the same way you did on move-in. Take dated photos and video of every room, inside every appliance and every cabinet, and of the yard. Shoot the same angles as your move-in photos if you can. These pictures are your strongest evidence if a charge looks wrong later.
- Final walk-through photos and video of every room.
- Return every key, remote, fob and pool or gate card, and get a written note of what you returned.
- Lock all windows and doors and leave the thermostat where the lease or landlord asks.
- Schedule your utilities to stop the day after the lease ends, not before, so the landlord can inspect with lights and water on. In San Antonio that means CPS Energy and SAWS; elsewhere, your area's providers.
- Forward your mail with the post office.
Give a forwarding address in writing
This step is small and easy to skip, and it matters. Under Texas Property Code 92.107, a landlord does not have to send your refund or itemized list until you give a written forwarding address. Once you move out and provide it, 92.103 gives the landlord 30 days to refund the deposit, along with a written list of any deductions under 92.104. Send the address by email or letter and keep a copy.
If the 30 days pass with no refund or explanation, write to the landlord, cite the deadline and ask for the refund. Texas Property Code 92.109 sets penalties for a landlord who keeps a deposit in bad faith, and a landlord who misses the deadline is presumed to have acted in bad faith. Small claims (justice) court handles most deposit disputes.
Do not use your deposit as last month's rent
It is tempting to skip the last payment and tell the landlord to keep the deposit. Texas law specifically prohibits it. A tenant who withholds last month's rent on the theory that the deposit covers it can be presumed to be acting in bad faith and can owe the landlord a penalty on top of the rent. Pay the final month and let the deposit process work.
Moving out of a home managed by Rothrock
If Rothrock Realty Team manages your home, you can send your notice and forwarding address through your tenant login so there is a dated record. After you hand in the keys, the team inspects the home against the move-in photos taken before you arrived, itemizes any deductions in writing and refunds the deposit within the 30-day window Texas sets. If you have questions about a charge, message the team through the same login and attach your own photos.
Questions
When should my deposit come back after I move out?
Thirty days after you move out, under Texas Property Code 92.103, but the clock depends on you giving a written forwarding address. Any deductions must be itemized in writing.
What can a Texas landlord deduct from my deposit?
Unpaid rent, charges you owe under the lease, and the cost of damage beyond normal wear and tear. Ordinary aging of paint, carpet and fixtures from normal use cannot be charged.
Do I have to clean the carpets when I move out?
Only if your lease requires it. Some leases require professional carpet cleaning and a receipt. If yours does not, vacuuming and treating any stains you caused is usually enough.
Can I skip my final month's rent and let the deposit cover it?
No. Texas law prohibits withholding the last month's rent on the grounds that the deposit covers it, and a tenant who does can owe a penalty.
Should I turn off utilities when I move out?
Stop them the day after your lease ends, not before. The landlord needs power and water to inspect, and a lapse can cause damage you could be charged for.
General information about Texas rules, not legal advice. For a specific situation, speak to a Texas attorney.