Texas Tenant Advisor

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The Texas Tenant Advisor is intended to provide general information regarding Texas residential tenancies only.

Unique facts can render some statements inapplicable to a given situation.

We attempt to provide current information; nonetheless, you are urged to consult an attorney for legal advice and assistance.

This web site is a public service of the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service.

District Court Petition for Repair

This form petition is ready to be used to file suit in district court. You will need to download it, print it and fill it out (instructions on filing it out are below). The form petition is ready to be downloaded in the following formats:

(PDF Form: 76 KB / 1 page) or

 (Rich Text Format for word processor: 23 KB / 1 page)

PDF stands for Portable Document Format click the icon above to download and install the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

How to fill in the blanks in the form:

1 The first blank at the top of the form is the Case Number. When you file the case, the court clerk will assign a number to the case and write that number at the top. You do not need to fill that blank in prior to filing the case.

2 On the right side at the top is the court information. Put the County you are filing suit in. The Judicial District is the court that will hear your case and the court clerk will assign it. You do not need to fill that blank in prior to filing the case.

3 Since you are bringing the suit first, you are the Plaintiff. Put your name in the blank for Plaintiff on the left side, and again in the Parties section of the form petition.

4 The landlord is the Defendant. This is probably not the manager of the property. It is best to sue the owner of the property. You have a right to know the name and address of the owner of the property. See Ownership for details on obtaining this information. Often a business entity owns the property (like a corporation, or a limited partnership). If the owner is a business entity, list the entity as the Defendant in the suit and put the name in the blank for Defendant at the top and in the Parties section of the form petition.

5 The address of the Defendant in the Parties section of the form petition needs to be filled in as well. This is the address that a constable will go to serve the Defendant with court papers. So, try to get the correct address and completely list it. The easier it is for the constable to serve the court papers, the faster your case will be heard. You are entitled to know the address of the owner of the property. As we stated above, it is best to sue the owner of the property. You have a right to know the name and address of the owner of the property. See Ownership for details on obtaining this information.

6 The last blank to be filled in the body of the form petition is a listing of the problems that the landlord did not timely repair. Be sure to list all the problems which are significant and you had told the landlord about.

7 Then sign your name at the bottom. Print your name, complete address and phone number below your signature.

8 Then sign the line under Verification in front of a Notary Public. A Notary Public is a person allowed to administer oaths in Texas. These can be found in banks and other locations. The Notary will fill in the rest of the blanks in the verification and place a stamp (the Notary Seal) on the form. (Please note that you are swearing that the facts listed in the petition are true and correct.)

Finally, read over the form and make sure it has been filled out completely. Then make two copies of the signed form and take them, with the original to the justice court for filing. The court will keep the original, keep one copy to serve on the Defendant and return one to you with a file stamp for your records. For more information on proceeding with the case, see Representing Yourself.