Locks & Security Devices

LOCKS AND SECURITY DEVICES:

    A landlord must install the following security devices without the necessity of your request: a window latch on each exterior door; a sliding door pin lock on each exterior sliding glass door of the dwelling; a sliding door handle latch or a sliding door security bar on each exterior sliding glass doors of the dwelling; and a keyless bolting device and a door viewer on each exterior door of the dwelling. Keyless deadbolts aren't required for units reserved for the elderly (over 55 years of age) or disabled if it's part of the landlord's responsibility as part of a written lease or other written agreement to check on the well being of the tenants. Also ,keyed deadbolts or doorknobs locks aren't required on all exterior doors as long as one door- if the dwelling has French doors, so long as at least one French door- has both keyed and keyless deadbolts and the rest of the doors have keyless deadbolts.

  A landlord may not require you to pay for repair or replacement of a lock or other security device if it breaks because of normal wear and tear. Unless a landlord fails to timely install, change or rekey a lock after giving the appropriate notices and paying any required fee as described below you can't install, change, or rekey a lock without the landlord's permission. 

   Landlord must rekey or change all the key-operated locks ( or other combination locks) on the exterior doors between each tenancy at his/her expense.  The landlord must rekey no later than the seventh day after you move in. You can also ask the landlord to rekey or change the locks repeatedly during the tenancy, but these changes will be at your expenses.

  For more information on locks and security devices between you and the landlord go to link: www.texasbar.com