If you live in Austin Texas, you know there are lots and lots of rental properties. Sure, it’s easy for Austin tenants to find a good apartment or rental home near their job or school. But what happens when there is a problem?

Too often tenants are so excited to get moved in and get on with their lives in their new location, they neglect to take the time to explore some of the things that could come back to bite them later. One of the major items is the lease they sign. Most apartment leases are standardized, but many are not. Even at that, the tenant may face additional rules and regulations that are officially tagged on to the lease. Guess what? Those add-ons are legally binding. Often the leases are 10 or more pages of tiny legal blab. Why read it? Ask the tenants that are involved in legal hassles in Austin right now.

Besides the lease, there are SO many things that can go wrong. Your rental could be burglarized, damaged by your neighbors trash can fire, the building could be sold or foreclosed on, your roommate might bail on you, a rock band might be rehearsing on the other side of your bed, the water pipes could bust, well, you get the picture.

Where can tenants get help in Austin? We’ve provided some resources for you below. Keep this list handy, chances are you will need it someday!

tenant.rentals

First, our own website https://www.tenant.rentals is a GREAT resource for tenants on many levels. You can find a great place to live in your zip code, hook up with a roommate, find a moving company, learn about the potential problems in your lease, deal with your landlord, get legal advice, and find a WEALTH of information that will help you as a tenant.

Here are some more valuable resources in Austin TX:

Austin Tenant Council

You may contact the Austin Tenants’ Council, 1640B East 2nd Street, Suite 150 Austin, TX 78702, (512) 474-1961, www.housing-rights.org

Texas Tenant Advisor

http://texastenant.org/
This website is intended to provide residential tenants of Texas with general information.  We do not have sufficient resources to help tenants individually.  Because the law constantly changes and your situation is unique, we do not warrant or guarantee that the information on this website is current or applicable to your situation. 

The Attorney General of Texas

https://texasattorneygeneral.gov/cpd/tenant-rights

The relationship between Texas landlords and their tenants is governed by several statutes, particularly Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code, and by various court rulings. However, the most important source of information about your relationship with your landlord is your rental agreement, whether it is written or oral.

TexasLawHelp.org

http://texaslawhelp.org/issues/housing/landlord-tenant-1

Helping low-income individuals solve civil legal issues.

FindLaw

http://realestate.findlaw.com/landlord-tenant-law/tenant-rights.html

Welcome to the Tenant Rights section of FindLaw’s Real Estate Center, providing information and resources to help tenants (also referred to as “renters”) know their rights when entering into a rental agreement. Whether you are looking to rent an apartment or house, need help understanding the landlord-tenant laws in your state, or are involved in a landlord-tenant dispute – this section will get you up to speed. The following articles will help you understand your rights as a tenant, how lease and rental agreements work, payment of rent and security deposits, tenant safety, landlord liability, the eviction process, and more. This section also provides links to state landlord-tenant laws, with tips on hiring a real estate lawyer.

To speak with a qualified attorney about a tenant-landlord issue, you can go to the site: https://www.tenant.rentals/tenant-legal-questions/

Sometimes, tenants just need to find some forms to create an agreement. We’ve provided those forms at https://www.tenant.rentals/legal-forms-for-tenants/. There are forms such as a co-habitation or roommate agreement, sublease agreement, affidavits, lease assignment agreement and more.

tenant.rentals is dedicated to you, the tenant. We love tenants, and hope that your stay is worry free and fun!