Key takeaways
- A major repair in an occupied house runs on two lines: the owner decides and pays, the tenant gives access and lives with the work.
- The owner should hear before the money is committed: the problem, the options, the effect on the tenant and the cost.
- The tenant should hear the schedule, which rooms or systems are out, and who to call, in writing and as the lease provides.
- Texas Property Code 92.056 presumes seven days is a reasonable time to repair, and the presumption can be rebutted by the severity of the condition and the availability of materials and labor.
- After an insured casualty, the repair clock starts when the landlord receives the insurance proceeds (92.054(a)).
Which North Richland Hills manager communicates directly with owners during major repairs? One that brings every large repair to you before work starts and documents it afterward. At Perpetual, based in NRH, repairs over your pre-approved limit come to you with a description, photos and a recommendation; calls and emails are answered within one business day; and a completed repair over $500 gets photo or video proof in your portal. The same applies in Fort Worth and Keller.
Below: a stage-by-stage table of what the owner and the tenant should hear, the Texas rules that apply while the tenant lives there, rent during the work, and the questions to settle before the next big job.
Stage by stage: what the owner should hear and what the tenant should hear
A foundation repair, a roof, a slab leak or an HVAC replacement in an occupied North Richland Hills house moves through the same stages. Here is what each side should hear at each one:
| Repair stage | What the owner should hear | What the tenant should hear |
|---|---|---|
| The report | That a large problem was reported, when, and whether it is an emergency | That the request was received, and what to do meanwhile (shut-off, which room to avoid) |
| Make safe | What was done to stop further damage and what it cost | What was done, and whether the house is safe to stay in |
| Diagnosis and scope | The cause, the scope, the vendor's estimate, photos | That a vendor will inspect, and the access window |
| The decision | Options with a recommendation: repair or replace, a second quote, whether to call the insurer | Nothing about the cost; only that a decision is being made and when to expect a schedule |
| Scheduling and access | The start date and how long the vendor expects the work to take | Dates, hours, which rooms or systems will be out, and access as the lease provides |
| Work in progress | Any change in scope or cost before it is approved | Delays and changes to the schedule, as they happen |
| Completion | Photos or video of the finished work and the original invoice | That the work is finished and how to report anything still wrong |
| The statement | The repair and any coordination charge on the monthly statement | Nothing, unless the lease makes part of it the tenant's cost |
How to read this table: the owner's column is about money and decisions, the tenant's about time and access. A manager who sends the tenant cost details, or sends the owner only a final invoice, has the two lines crossed. Each line should leave a written record.
What makes a repair "major" in an occupied house
In this guide a major repair is one that crosses at least one of four lines: it costs more than the spending limit you pre-approved, it takes more than a day, it takes a room or a system out of use while the tenant lives there, or an insurer may be involved. Foundation movement, a roof replacement, a slab leak under the floor and a full HVAC replacement usually cross several at once.
Much of North Richland Hills' housing stock is 30 to 50 years old, and our NRH page names HVAC, water heaters and roofs as the systems that need planned attention. For the warning signs and who evaluates them, see foundation and plumbing problems in North Texas rentals. This guide is about the communication once the problem is found.
The owner's line: what you should hear before you approve
A major repair should reach you as a decision, not as a bill. The request should answer six questions on one page: what is wrong and what caused it, with photos; what the vendor proposes and what it costs; what happens if you wait; whether a cheaper repair or a full replacement makes more sense; how the work affects the tenant; and whether it may be an insurance matter.
Two choices belong to you at this stage. One is a second quote, worth the delay on a large job but not when the tenant has no heat, water or a safe house (see when to ask for a second quote). The other is the insurer. A foundation, roof or water event may be a claim, and the Texas Office of Public Insurance Counsel lists "Foundation or slab damage" among the extra coverages a policy may need added, for damage by water or steam from a plumbing, heating or A/C system. Read your declarations page before you decide. This is general information, not insurance advice.
During the work, you should hear about any change in scope or price before it is approved, not on the invoice. What a good approval request looks like on any repair is in what owner communication to expect from a property manager.
The tenant's line: access, schedule and a written record
The tenant does not need the cost or the owner's options. The tenant needs to know when the vendor is coming, how long the work will take, which rooms, appliances or utilities will be out, and who to call if something goes wrong. Put each of those in writing, because a written schedule also helps show the diligent effort the Property Code asks of a landlord.
No Texas statute sets a notice period for entering a rented house: the lease's access clause governs, so read it before the first vendor visit. A tenant who works from home or has small children may need the schedule built around them; asking costs nothing and keeps the tenant cooperative for the weeks of a big job. The broader rules for channels and wording are in professional tenant communication.
Texas rules while the tenant lives there
Texas Property Code subchapter B sets the landlord's repair duty and the tenant's remedies:
- The duty (92.052). A landlord "shall make a diligent effort to repair or remedy a condition" when the tenant gives notice to the person or place where rent is normally paid, is not delinquent in rent, and the condition "materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant." There is no duty during the lease to repair a condition caused by the tenant, a lawful occupant, family member or guest, unless it was caused by normal wear and tear (92.052(b)).
- The clock (92.056(d)). There is "a rebuttable presumption that seven days is a reasonable time." To rebut it, the date the notice was received, "the severity and nature of the condition, and the reasonable availability of materials and labor" are considered.
- The remedies (92.056(e)). A tenant to whom the landlord is liable may terminate the lease, repair and deduct under 92.0561, or obtain judicial remedies under 92.0563.
- The limit (92.061). The subchapter "does not impose obligations on a landlord or tenant other than those expressly stated in this subchapter."
On a big job, the record matters: dated notices, the vendor's availability and each step taken show a diligent effort. This is general information, not legal advice; ask a Texas attorney about a specific dispute.
Fire, hail or a storm: the casualty-loss rule
When the damage comes from an insured casualty, Property Code 92.054 changes the timing and the tenant's options:
- Timing (92.054(a)). If a condition results from an insured casualty loss, "such as fire, smoke, hail, explosion, or a similar cause, the period for repair does not begin until the landlord receives the insurance proceeds."
- Totally unusable (92.054(b)). If the house is as a practical matter totally unusable for residential purposes and the tenant's side did not cause it, either the landlord or the tenant may terminate the lease by written notice before repairs are completed; the tenant then gets a pro rata refund of rent from the move-out date and any deposit refund required by law.
- Partially unusable (92.054(c)). The tenant is entitled to a rent reduction proportionate to the unusable part, "but only on judgment of a county or district court." Landlord and tenant may agree otherwise in a written lease.
How the claim itself runs, from the adjuster to the checks, is in how a property manager coordinates with your insurer. This is general information, not legal advice.
Rent during the work: what the statute and the lease say
The rent reductions in Property Code subchapter B come through a court or the lease, not automatically. When the landlord is liable under 92.056, a tenant's judicial remedies under 92.0563(a)(2) include "an order reducing the tenant's rent, from the date of the first repair notice, in proportion to the reduced rental value" until the condition is repaired. After a casualty, a partially unusable house gets a proportionate reduction only on judgment of a county or district court, unless the written lease says otherwise (92.054(c)). Read your lease's repair and casualty clauses before you answer a tenant who asks.
An owner may still choose to offer a credit, for example when a kitchen is out for a week. Put any credit in writing, with the dates. Illustrative only, not a quote: at $2,100 a month in a 30-day month, the daily rent is $2,100 / 30 = $70, so a 5-day credit is 5 x $70 = $350. Re-added: $70 + $70 + $70 + $70 + $70 = $350.
Older North Richland Hills houses: planning the next big repair
The best major repair is the one you saw coming. On an older house, the conversation about the HVAC system, the water heater or the roof should start at an inspection, not with a tenant's call on a hot afternoon. Ask for the age and condition of each major system in writing, so you can decide whether to replace on your schedule rather than in an emergency.
Some major work may need a city permit. This guide does not state North Richland Hills' permit rules; confirm with the city before a foundation, roof, electrical, plumbing or HVAC job starts.
How Perpetual handles a major repair in a North Richland Hills rental
North Richland Hills is our home base; our office is on Rufe Snow Drive. For a big repair in an occupied house, here or in Fort Worth and Keller:
- Tenants report problems through their portal with photos, so we can triage before dispatching anyone. Emergencies follow a 24/7 process.
- Under our maintenance coordination, repairs under your pre-approved limit get fixed fast; anything larger comes to you with a description, photos and a recommendation.
- We work with vetted, insured vendors: plumbers, electricians, HVAC and general trades.
- We respond to your calls and emails within one business day, or that month's management fee is credited, under the Perpetual Promise and its Guarantee Addendum.
- Every completed repair over $500 gets photo or video proof in your portal, and what was reported, done and paid is documented there.
- Maintenance coordination is 4.9% of cost on Standard and 5% on Full Service, a percentage of the vendor's invoice, and the original invoice is always in your portal.
Illustrative only, not a quote: on an $8,000 vendor invoice, 4.9% is $392 and 5% is $400. Re-checked: 1% of $8,000 is $80, so 5% is $400, and $400 minus 0.1% ($8) is $392.
How tenant updates are sent during a long job, and any repair reserve, are confirmed in writing before you sign. Call 682-593-7033 to talk through a repair or a management quote.
The takeaway: In a major repair with a tenant at home, the owner hears before money is committed and after the work is done, with photos and the invoice; the tenant hears the schedule and the access plan in writing. The Property Code sets the repair duty and the casualty rules; the lease and your written agreement with the manager set the rest.
Questions owners ask
Which North Richland Hills manager communicates directly with owners during major repairs?
Look for one that brings every large repair to you before work starts and documents it afterward. At Perpetual, based in North Richland Hills, repairs above your pre-approved spending limit come to you with a description, photos and a recommendation, calls and emails are answered within one business day, and every completed repair over $500 gets photo or video proof in your portal with the original invoice.
Do I have to approve a major repair before the manager starts it?
That depends on your management agreement. At Perpetual, repairs under the limit you pre-approve proceed, and anything larger comes to you first with a description, photos and a recommendation. Emergencies that threaten the property or habitability follow a 24/7 process.
How long does a Texas landlord have to make a repair?
Property Code 92.056(d) presumes seven days is a reasonable time after the landlord receives the tenant's notice. The presumption can be rebutted by the date the notice was received, the severity and nature of the condition, and the reasonable availability of materials, labor and utilities. After an insured casualty, the period starts when the landlord receives the insurance proceeds (92.054(a)).
Does a tenant get a rent reduction during a major repair in Texas?
Not automatically. If the landlord is liable under Property Code 92.056, a court may order a proportionate rent reduction from the first repair notice (92.0563(a)(2)). After a casualty that leaves the house partially unusable, 92.054(c) gives a proportionate reduction only on judgment of a county or district court, unless a written lease says otherwise. Any credit an owner chooses to give should be in writing with the dates.
Can the tenant end the lease if the house is unusable after a fire or storm?
Under Property Code 92.054(b), if the house is as a practical matter totally unusable after a casualty the tenant's side did not cause, either the landlord or the tenant may terminate the lease by written notice before repairs are completed. The tenant then gets a pro rata rent refund from the move-out date and any deposit refund required by law.
Will I see photos of a finished repair?
At Perpetual, every completed repair over $500 gets photo or video proof in your owner portal, and the original vendor invoice is always there. Ask any manager what proof you get on a large job and where it is kept.
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