{"id":11376,"date":"2021-03-11T07:10:51","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T07:10:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/?p=11376"},"modified":"2021-03-11T07:10:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-11T07:10:51","slug":"what-happens-when-tenants-break-their-lease-in-dallas-fort-worth-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/what-happens-when-tenants-break-their-lease-in-dallas-fort-worth-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens When Tenants Break their Lease in Dallas\/Fort Worth Texas?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an ideal world, a landlord would have tenants that always pay rent on time, respect all the rules and state laws, and stay long-term. Alas, it is not an ideal world. It\u2019s not uncommon in Texas for tenants to break the terms of their rental agreement. Regardless of the validity of the reason, breaking a lease agreement is a matter of serious concern.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re a landlord in Texas, you have to be prepared for when your tenants fail to abide by their lease. In this article, we\u2019ll cover the basics: the ways to break a lease, legally justified reasons for breaking a lease, and what you should expect afterward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have questions about your specific case, it\u2019s best to consult with a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dallas\/Fort Worth landlord attorney.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common Ways to Break the Lease<\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Terminating the lease early.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Failing to give the landlord sufficient notice when looking to move out\/vacate the property.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Subletting or subleasing the property when it\u2019s against the terms of the lease.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unauthorized installation of equipment<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping a pet<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repainting the property<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legal Reasons to Break a Lease in Texas<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-11377 \" src=\"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Tenant-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Tenants\" width=\"353\" height=\"235\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Tenant-200x133.jpg 200w, https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Tenant-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Tenant-400x266.jpg 400w, https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Tenant-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Tenant.jpg 626w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 353px) 100vw, 353px\" \/>Some reasons for breaking the lease are legally justified. When this happens, the former renters would face no enforceable penalty at all. Here we list down some instances when breaking a lease is legally justified. If you\u2019re not sure whether your tenants are justified in breaking the lease, contact our Dallas\/Fort Worth landlord law firm.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Violation of tenant\u2019s privacy rights<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tenants\u2019 rights include the right to enjoy their home in peace. You cannot just barge into the premises whenever you please. A landlord has to inform the renter of their visit at least 24 hours prior. The timing must also be during a reasonable period.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There must also be a valid reason for entering the property. Here are a few plausible reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Court order<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Showing prospective buyers the property<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Necessary repairs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Landlord Harassment<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Landlord harassment is not an issue to be taken lightly. It\u2019s a grave lease violation and gives the tenant a valid reason for breaking the lease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some examples of acts that may count as landlord harassment include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Refusal to make required repairs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Changing locks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Construction-related nuisance<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rental Unit is no longer Habitable<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Landlord-tenant law in Texas provides habitability laws that landlords must comply with. Otherwise, the court would deem that the tenant has been \u201cconstructively\u201d evicted. Make sure to comply with these obligations to avoid giving the tenants a legal reason to break the lease.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Tenant is a Victim of Domestic Abuse or Stalking<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A tenant can justifiably break a lease if they are the victim of stalking or domestic abuse, under the Texas Property Code. You may request legal proof of these, like court documents or a restraining order before lease termination.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Tenant is a Member of the Uniformed Services<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tenants on active duty are protected under the SCRA (Servicemembers Civil Relief Act). All the tenant needs to provide is 30 days\u2019 notice before they move out of the dwelling.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Uniformed services include members of the National Guard, the Armed Forces, the commissioned corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Public Health Service.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Happens After a Tenant Breaks their Lease in Texas?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your tenant breaks their lease, then one of the things you must do is to make efforts to find another tenant to replace them. This helps you mitigate the negative consequences of the termination of the lease.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you find a replacement tenant, then the other tenant may only be liable for only a portion of the remaining rent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if they pay the rent, there may be other costs that your tenant has to pay after breaking the lease. It\u2019s possible to charge them for expenses of screening new tenants or advertising the unit.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Do I Do Now?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best thing to do after a tenant breaks the lease is to contact an attorney to make sure that the proper procedures are followed to make sure it\u2019s legally binding. Certain things have to be done right, like a notice for <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/eviction-notice-for-a-tenant-who-violates-the-rental-agreement\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the tenant violating the rental agreement.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Girling Law, PLLC<\/strong> offers a full range of legal representation to independent rental owners and apartment communities. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/contact-us\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Contact our Forth Worth landlord attorney now!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In an ideal world, a landlord would have tenants that always pay rent on time, respect all the rules and state laws, and stay long-term. Alas, it is not an ideal world. It\u2019s not uncommon in Texas for tenants to break the terms of their rental agreement. Regardless of the validity of the reason, breaking [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":11378,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[95],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11376"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11376"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11376\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11378"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11376"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11376"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlinglaw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11376"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}