Sec. 92.162. PAYMENT OF CHARGES; LIMITS ON AMOUNT CHARGED. (a) A
landlord may not require a tenant to pay for repair or replacement of a
security device due to normal wear and tear. A landlord may not require a
tenant to pay for other repairs or replacements of a security device except
as provided by Subsections (b), (c), and (d).
(b) A landlord may require a tenant to pay for repair or replacement
of a security device if an underlined provision in a written lease authorizes
the landlord to do so and the repair or replacement is necessitated by misuse
or damage by the tenant, a member of the tenant's family, an occupant, or a
guest, and not by normal wear and tear. Misuse of or damage to a security
device that occurs during the tenant's occupancy is presumed to be caused by
the tenant, a family member, an occupant, or a guest. The tenant has the
burden of proving that the misuse or damage was caused by another party.
(c) A landlord may require a tenant to pay in advance charges for
which the tenant is liable under this subchapter if a written lease
authorizes the landlord to require advance payment, and the landlord notifies
the tenant within a reasonable time after the tenant's request that advance
payment is required, and:
(1) the tenant is more than 30 days delinquent in reimbursing
the landlord for charges to which the landlord is entitled under Subsection
(b); or
(2) the tenant requested that the landlord repair, install,
change, or rekey the same security device during the 30 days preceding the
tenant's request, and the landlord complied with the request.
(d) A landlord authorized by this subchapter to charge a tenant for
repairing, installing, changing, or rekeying a security device under this
subchapter may not require the tenant to pay more than the total cost charged
by a third-party contractor for material, labor, taxes, and extra keys. If
the landlord's employees perform the work, the charge may include a
reasonable amount for overhead but may not include a profit to the landlord.
If management company employees perform the work, the charge may include
reasonable overhead and profit but may not exceed the cost charged to the
owner by the management company for comparable security devices installed by
management company employees at the owner's request and expense.
(e) The owner of a dwelling shall reimburse a management company,
managing agent, or on-site manager for costs expended by that person in
complying with this subchapter. A management company, managing agent, or on-
site manager may reimburse itself for the costs from the owner's funds in its
possession or control.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.
Sec. 92.163. REMOVAL OR ALTERATION OF SECURITY DEVICE BY TENANT. A
security device that is installed, changed, or rekeyed under this subchapter
becomes a fixture of the dwelling. Except as provided by Section 92.164(a)
(1) or 92.165(1) regarding the remedy of repair-and-deduct, a tenant may not
remove, change, rekey, replace, or alter a security device or have it
removed, changed, rekeyed, replaced, or altered without permission of the
landlord.
Added by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.