88R7273 PRL-F
 
  By: Vo H.B. No. 1756
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to certain deposits, fees, or charges required to be
  provided by a tenant or prospective tenant in connection with a
  residential lease.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 92.001, Property Code, is amended by
  adding Subdivision (5-a) to read as follows:
               (5-a)  "Security deposit" means a security deposit
  described by Section 92.102.
         SECTION 2.  Section 92.102, Property Code, is amended to
  read as follows:
         Sec. 92.102.  SECURITY DEPOSIT. (a) A security deposit is
  any advance of money, other than a rental application deposit or an
  advance payment of rent, that is intended primarily to secure
  performance under a lease of a dwelling that has been entered into
  by a landlord and a tenant or to secure payment for damage to or
  cleaning of the leased premises.
         (b)  Any deposit that a landlord requires a prospective
  tenant to provide to the landlord to lease a dwelling or that the
  lease requires a tenant to provide to the landlord or maintain in
  effect for all or part of the lease term is presumed to be a security
  deposit. A fee or charge required by a landlord for damages or
  cleaning, no matter how designated, is presumed to be a security
  deposit.
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to a lease entered into or renewed on or after the effective date of
  this Act. A lease entered into or renewed before the effective date
  of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before
  the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in effect
  for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
  a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
  provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
  Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
  Act takes effect September 1, 2023.