Full Description

Simplify Dealing with Your Tenants

Understanding your rights under Texas’ landlord/tenant law is essential to becoming a successful and profitable landlord. With Landlord’s Legal Guide in Texas, you have everything you need to protect yourself and your property, and to make the money you want.

Learn how to:
- Screen Prospective Tenants
- Manage Rent Payments and Deposits
- Enforce Your Lease
- Solve Problems Before They Arise

Essential documents you need to:
- Find the Right Tenant
- Meet All Notice Requirements
- Evict a Problem Tenant
- Recover Damages and Get Paid
- And much more . . .

Table of Contents

Using Self-Help Law Books -
Introduction -

Chapter 1: Laws that Apply to All Landlords -
Discrimination
Local Law
Taxes
Assumed Name

Chapter 2: Legal Research -
Statutes
Court Cases
Case Citation Examples

Chapter 3: Selecting a Tenant -
Screening Prospective Tenants
Application Deposits
Choosing a Tenant Checklist

Chapter 4: Types of Tenancies -
Fixed-Term Tenancies
Periodic Tenancies
Tenancies at Will
Tenancies at Sufferance

Chapter 5: The Lease -
Lease Requirements
Statutory Obligations
Optional Provisions
Problem Clauses
Signing the Lease
Commercial vs. Residential Leases
From Applicant to Occupant Checklist

Chapter 6: Security Deposits -
Return of Security Deposits
Lease Provisions and Security Deposit Deductions
Last Month’s Rent

Chapter 7: Repairs -
Duty to Repair
Property Sold before Repairs are Made
Court Proceedings
Insured Losses
Code Violations

Chapter 8: Security Devices -
Required Equipment
Remedies
Management Companies

Chapter 9: Smoke Detectors -
General Requirements
Tenant’s Guest

Chapter 10: Utility Cutoffs -
Tenant’s Remedies

Chapter 11: Retaliation -
Against Tenant
Against Landlord

Chapter 12: Collecting Unpaid Rent -
Statutory Lien
Contractual Lien
Seizing Property
Sale of Seized Property
Tenant’s Right to Redeem
Replevy
Additional Tenant Remedies
Suing for Unpaid Rent

Chapter 13: Manufactured Housing -
Landlord’s Entry
Common Areas
Lease Term
Lease Requirements
Security Deposits
Maintenance Requirements

Chapter 14: Commercial Leases -
Commercial Property
Utility Cutoffs
Removal of Tenant’s Property
Banning Tenant’s Entry
Tenant Remedies
Writ of Reentry
Security Deposits

Chapter 15: Commercial Landlord’s Liens -
Lien Statement
Distress Warrants
Landlord’s Other Remedies

Chapter 16: Terminating Leases -
Month-to-Month Tenancies
Tenant Convicted of a Crime
Other Terminating Issues

Chapter 17: Evictions -
Procedure
Writ of Possession
Release of Judgment
Public Hearing
Possible Tenant Defenses
Eviction Process Checklist

Chapter 18: Recovering Possession -
Abandonment
Agreeing to End the Tenancy
Acceptance of Past-Due Rent
Tenant’s Bankruptcy

Chapter 19: Other Liabilities -
Personal Injuries
Criminal Acts of Third Parties
Tenant’s Criminal Activity

Chapter 20: Hiring an Attorney -

Conclusion -
Top Ten Mistakes Landlords Make

Glossary -
Appendix A: Texas Landlord and Tenant Statutes -
Appendix B: Texas Forcible Entry and Detainer Statutes -
Appendix C: Texas Rules of Civil Procedure for Forcible Entry and Detainer -
Appendix D: Blank Forms -
Index

Excerpt

Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Customer Reviews: