Free · No signup · Updated July 2026
Free Texas Rental Application Form - Fill Online, Sign & Download the PDF
This Texas rental application covers everything Texas landlords typically require and reflects the Texas Property Code rules on application fees, deposits, and rejection timelines. Fill it out below with plain-English help on every field, then sign and download your completed PDF free.
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Texas rental application rules to know
- •Texas sets no dollar cap on application fees, $15 to $50 is typical. The fee is non-refundable in most cases, but an application deposit is refundable if you're rejected.
- •Landlords must make their tenant selection criteria available to you (Property Code § 92.3515), criminal history, credit, income, and rental-history standards, with a signed acknowledgment.
- •If a landlord rejects you without having made those selection criteria available, they must refund both your application fee and any application deposit.
- •If you don't hear back within 7 days of submitting a completed application, you're legally 'deemed rejected' (§ 92.352), and rejecting one co-applicant rejects the whole application.
- •Bad-faith failure to refund an application fee or deposit costs the landlord $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully kept, plus your attorney's fees (§ 92.354).
- •There is no cap on security deposits in Texas; the landlord must return your deposit within 30 days of move-out, once you've provided a forwarding address.
- •Fair-housing protected classes mirror the seven federal classes; since 2023, race explicitly includes hair texture and protective hairstyles (CROWN Act).
- •Texas has no statewide source-of-income protection, and state law generally preempts local Section 8 ordinances (with an exception for veterans' income).
Last reviewed 2026-07-15. General information, not legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
Is there a limit on rental application fees in Texas?
No statutory cap, most landlords charge $15–$50 to cover screening. The application fee is non-refundable in most cases; the big exception is being rejected without receiving the selection criteria, which requires a refund. If you also paid an application deposit, that part is refundable if you're rejected.
What's the difference between an application fee and an application deposit in Texas?
The fee (non-refundable) covers screening costs. The deposit (refundable) holds the unit while you're screened, if you're rejected, it must come back to you. Keeping it in bad faith exposes the landlord to $100 + 3× the amount + attorney's fees under Property Code § 92.354.
How long does a Texas landlord have to respond to my application?
Seven days after you submit a completed application. If you haven't received an acceptance notice by then, the law deems your application rejected (§ 92.352), which triggers the deposit refund.
What are 'tenant selection criteria' and why do they matter?
Texas landlords must make available written selection criteria, the credit, income, rental-history, and criminal-history standards they screen against, and collect your signed acknowledgment (§ 92.3515). If they reject you without having done so, they owe you back your application fee and deposit.
Can Texas landlords ask about criminal history?
Yes, Texas has no fair-chance housing law, so criminal-history questions are lawful. Blanket bans can still create Fair Housing Act disparate-impact liability, and arrests that never led to conviction are risky grounds for denial.
Is there a security deposit cap in Texas?
No. Texas law doesn't limit the amount, but the landlord must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out (once you give a forwarding address), with an itemized list of any deductions.
More free landlord & tenant forms
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- General US form
For landlords: the tenant application form and the rental verification form.