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.

A tenant is entitled to know the name and address of the landlord (the actual owner of the property) and also entitled to know the name and address of the management company if the landlord has hired a separate company to manage to the property. It is often best to communicate your concerns with the actual owner of the property, and not some manager. It is often better still to send letters to the manager and the actual owner of the property. Sometimes managers do not want you to know this information so they will lie and claim to be the owner, or will give you the name of the management company instead of the owner. If you have a serious problem, demand the correct information of the owner.

One way of confirming or locating the landlord is to ask. If you are caught up on your rent, you should send a letter to the manager or any person claiming to be the owner and specifically request the name and mailing address of the owner of the property. The landlord must get back to you within seven (7) days with the correct information unless the information can be found posted inside or outside the on-site management office for the property, or within the lease agreement or house rules. So if you do not get a response to your letter at all, check your lease and house rules, and then go to the office if you have one on site for your property and look around inside and out. And, if someone asks what you are doing, tell them. You just want information you are entitled to. The landlord got a ton of personal information about you on their rental application. It is not too much to ask for the actual name and address of the owner.

The landlord can be liable to you for failing to timely provide you with the correct information which will include the cost of you locating the correct information, $100 plus one month's rent, and you might be able to terminate your lease. (Be careful relying on this provision in order to terminate your lease. Chances are that the landlord will not agree and will not give you your security deposit, claim you owe rent under the lease and put negative information on your credit report or tenant tracker report. So, if you do use this provision as a basis for terminating your lease be warned that you are probably in for a fight.)

Another easy place to check for ownership information is with the tax appraisal districts. These are organized by county mostly. Unless the owner is a police officer, the tax appraisal district will post the name and mailing address of the owner of every piece of property in their district according to their records. It is not 100 percent accurate especially if there have been recent changes in ownership of the property, but it is an excellent resource you should use. Many larger districts have all their records online and you can search them often for free. You can also call them and get information about property right on the phone. You can also put in an owner's name and find other properties they own in that district, including their home address, and value of their home. Look for the property that has the "homestead" exemption claimed. (So if the landlord acts indifferent to your toilet backing up, it might be helpful to you, your fellow tenants, a judge and jury to know that he lives in a home worth $500,000.)