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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to application fees and deposits paid to a landlord of |
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residential rental property. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 92.351(1) and (1-a), Property Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(1) "Application deposit" means a sum of money that is |
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given to the landlord in connection with a rental application as a |
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holding deposit to take a unit off the market while the rental |
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application is processed and that is refundable to the applicant if |
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the applicant is rejected as a tenant. |
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(1-a) "Application fee" means a [nonrefundable] sum of |
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money that is given to the landlord to offset the costs of screening |
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an applicant for acceptance as a tenant. |
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SECTION 2. Section 92.3515(f), Property Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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(f) If an applicant requests a landlord to mail a refund of |
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the applicant's application deposit or application fee to the |
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applicant, the landlord shall mail the refund check to the |
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applicant at the address furnished by the applicant. |
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SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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a rental application submitted on or after the effective date of |
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this Act. A rental application submitted before the effective date |
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of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the date the rental |
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application was submitted, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |