Landlords must give tenants floodplain and prior-flood notices, include and sign those notices with the lease, and refund advance rent after a qualifying lease termination; tenants may terminate the lease after certain flooding-related losses.
Sec. 92.0135. NOTICE FOR DWELLING LOCATED IN FLOODPLAIN. (a) In this section: (1) "100-year floodplain" means any area of land designated as a flood hazard area with a one percent or greater chance of flooding each year by the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. Section 4001 et seq.). (2) "Flooding" means a general or temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of a dwelling caused by: (A) the overflow of inland or tidal waters; (B) the unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff or surface waters from any established water source such as a river, stream, or drainage ditch; or (C) excessive rainfall. (a-1) Notices under Subsections (b) and (d) are not required for a tenant under: (1) a lease with a term of less than 30 days; or (2) a temporary residential tenancy created by a contract for sale in which the buyer occupies the property before closing or the seller occupies the property after closing for a specific term not greater than 90 days. (b) A landlord shall provide to a tenant a written notice substantially equivalent to the following: "(Landlord) ( ) is or ( ) is not aware that the dwelling you are renting is located in a 100-year floodplain. If neither box is checked, you should assume the dwelling is in a 100-year floodplain. Even if the dwelling is not in a 100-year floodplain, the dwelling may still be susceptible to flooding. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maintains a flood map on its Internet website that is searchable by address, at no cost, to determine if a dwelling is located in a flood hazard area. Most tenant insurance policies do not cover damages or loss incurred in a flood. You should seek insurance coverage that would cover losses caused by a flood." (c) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a landlord is not required to disclose on the notice that the landlord is aware that a dwelling is located in a 100-year floodplain if the elevation of the dwelling is raised above the 100-year floodplain flood levels in accordance with federal regulations. (d) If a landlord knows that flooding has damaged any portion of a dwelling at least once during the five-year period immediately preceding the effective date of the lease, the landlord shall provide a written notice to a tenant that is substantially equivalent to the following: "(Landlord) ( ) is or ( ) is not aware that the dwelling you are renting has flooded at least once within the last five years." (e) The notices required by Subsections (b) and (d) must be included in a paragraph of the lease, as an addendum to the lease, or in a separate written document given to the tenant at or before execution of the lease. The landlord and tenant must sign the document containing a required notice to evidence the provision and receipt of the notice. (f) If a landlord violates this section and a tenant suffers a substantial loss or damage to the tenant's personal property as a result of flooding, the tenant may terminate the lease by giving a written notice of termination to the landlord not later than the 30th day after the date the loss or damage occurred. For purposes of this subsection, a tenant suffers a substantial loss or damage to personal property if the total cost of repairs to or replacement of the personal property is 50 percent or more of the personal property's market value on the date the flooding occurred. Termination of a lease under this subsection is effective when the tenant surrenders possession of the dwelling. (g) Not later than the 30th day after the effective date of the termination of a lease under Subsection (f), the landlord shall refund to the tenant all rent or other amounts paid in advance under the lease for any period after the effective date of the termination of the lease. (h) This section does not affect a tenant's liability for delinquent, unpaid rent or other sums owed to the landlord before the date the lease was terminated by the tenant under this section. Added by Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 921 (H.B. 531), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2022. Amended by: Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 78 (S.B. 2349), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2025.