Each Austin guide answers one question — eviction, deposit, repairs, rent, entry, habitability — with the local office and the Texas chapter. We do not invent a local deadline.
State preemption matters here
Texas has limited what cities may add on top of Chapter 92. Austin’s current published renter resources are the ones to use. A repealed or blocked ordinance is not a rule you can take to court.
What if I got a notice in Austin?
Read it for a court name, a case number, or an appearance date. A landlord notice is usually a step. Court papers mean a case has been filed in Travis County justice court. Date it, photograph every page, and call legal aid the same day if a court is named. Do not guess the deadline from a national chart.
What if the unit is not livable?
Write the problem, date it, and keep photos. Open a request with Austin 311 or dial 311. An inspector’s dated notice is often worth more later than unanswered texts. Rent withholding and repair-and-deduct are Texas questions — ask legal aid before you skip a payment.
What if the deposit did not come back?
The clock, the cap, and the itemization rules live mainly in Texas law. Confirm any Austin-only rule on the City site. Do not rely on an old local ordinance the state later limited. Gather the lease, move-out photos, the forwarding address you gave, and any deduction list, then open the Texas deposit page.
What if the rent went up?
A lease still in term is not the same as month-to-month. Whether Austin adds a local cap or just-cause rule is a coverage question — Confirm any Austin-only rule on the City site. Do not rely on an old local ordinance the state later limited. Keep the letter. Confirm the Texas chapter and the City office before you treat a percentage you saw online as the law.
What if they keep coming in without notice?
Entry rules in Austin start with Texas law and the lease. Emergencies, repairs, and showings are not always the same notice. Write the date and time. Austin 311 may take a complaint. This desk does not invent an hour-count.
What if heat, water, or the structure fails?
That is a habitability problem. Photograph it, write the date, and open a request with Austin 311 or 311. If it is dangerous tonight — a gas leak, no heat in winter, a collapsed ceiling — treat it as an emergency. Do not skip rent on a rumor.
What extra rules does Austin have?
Austin has added local tenant-protection ordinances on top of Chapter 92. What is in force, and what a court has paused, is a now-question — read the City, not a 2021 flyer. Code enforcement and 311 remain the conditions doors. Travis County justice court hears possession.
Official Austin offices
Confirm any Austin-only rule on the City site. Do not rely on an old local ordinance the state later limited. The Texas chapter is Texas Property Code — residential tenancies (Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92). We name it. We do not paraphrase a number out of it.
Austin renter questions
Can my landlord in Austin evict me without going to court?
No. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or dumping belongings is not how possession is completed. Travis County justice court is where those cases are heard. If the paper names a court, a case number, or an appearance date, call legal aid the same day. Confirm any Austin-only rule on the City site. Do not rely on an old local ordinance the state later limited.
How do I get my security deposit back in Austin?
Deposit caps, itemization, and return deadlines are usually Texas questions — sometimes with a city overlay. Photograph the unit, return keys the way the lease requires, and keep a forwarding address. Confirm the chapter on the Texas page. This desk does not reprint a dollar cap or a day-count.
Who inspects repairs in Austin?
Austin 311 is the local conditions door, and 311 is often how you open a request. Put the repair in writing first and keep photos. Do not skip rent on a rumor — ask legal aid before you change what you pay. Confirm any Austin-only rule on the City site. Do not rely on an old local ordinance the state later limited.
Does Austin have local rent rules on top of Texas?
Confirm any Austin-only rule on the City site. Do not rely on an old local ordinance the state later limited.
What extra rules does Austin have?
Austin has added local tenant-protection ordinances on top of Chapter 92. What is in force, and what a court has paused, is a now-question — read the City, not a 2021 flyer. Code enforcement and 311 remain the conditions doors. Travis County justice court hears possession.
What number should I call in Austin?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. Local City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. Austin 311 does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org