Is there a law protecting owner’s from renters who deliberately trash the house?
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Is there a law protecting owner’s from renters who deliberately trash the house?
They are children of the person to whom I rented the house and were told to move since I did not want 2 families living there.
Asked on January 22, 2016 under Real Estate Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
1) You can evict tenants for intentionally or recklessly (more than ordinary carelessness) damaging your home. You can find instructions and sample forms for doing this from your county court, though you are advised to retain an attorney to help you--if tenants don't get the proper notice of termination of tenancy, in the proper time frame, the case can be dismissed, forcing you start over; better to let the professionals take care of this for you.
2) You can also evict excess occupants if the lease defines or lists who can live there--and the children are not on or authorized by the lease. Again, it's better to let a landlord-tenant attorney do this for you.
3) When the tenancy is over, you can apply the security deposit against the repair costs.
4) If the security deposit doesn't cover all the costs, you can also sue the tenant and the persons who did the damage for the repair costs.
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