Key takeaways
- Texas law decides where most tenant fees must be written: the selection criteria notice before the application (Property Code 92.3515) and the written lease for a late fee (92.019).
- Who keeps each tenant fee, the owner or the manager, is not set by statute. It is set by the management agreement, so read that section line by line.
- Perpetual's published tenant numbers: $60 per applicant, non-refundable; with pets, if the owner permits them, a $350 one-time fee plus $25 monthly pet rent per pet.
- A late fee of up to 12% of the month's rent on a house is considered reasonable, and only after rent is unpaid two full days past the due date.
- Some charges the law limits outright: governmental fines the tenant did not cause (92.018), normal wear and tear (92.104), most security-device repairs (92.162).
Which DFW property managers disclose tenant-paid fees as well as owner-paid fees? The ones that publish both lists before anyone signs. For a house in Fort Worth, Keller or North Richland Hills, Perpetual lists every owner fee on its pricing page and publishes its tenant numbers in its rental criteria: $60 per applicant, non-refundable, and, if pets are permitted at the owner's discretion, a $350 one-time fee plus $25 monthly pet rent per pet. Every other tenant fee is set in the lease.
Below: every fee a tenant can pay on a Texas house, where and when it must be written, who usually keeps it, and how to check a manager discloses both sides.
Every fee a tenant can pay on a Texas house, and where it must be written
This is each tenant-paid charge on a single-family rental, the party who usually keeps it, and the document Texas law (or, where the law is silent, the lease) puts it in:
| Fee | Who pays | Who usually keeps it | Where it must be written |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Each applicant (at Perpetual: $60 per applicant 18 or older, non-refundable) | The landlord or manager, to offset screening costs (92.351(1-a)); the agreement says which | Selection criteria notice made available with the application (92.3515) |
| Application deposit (if used) | The applicant | Nobody: refundable if the applicant is rejected (92.351(1)) | The application terms; bad-faith non-refund costs $100 + 3x (92.354) |
| Security deposit | The tenant | Held for the tenant; deductions only for charges under the lease (92.104) | The lease; an advance-notice-of-surrender condition must be underlined or bold (92.103(b)) |
| Fee in lieu of deposit (if offered) | The tenant, with each rent payment | The landlord, often to buy insurance (92.111(e)) | Written notice of the charges for each option, then a signed agreement (92.111(b), (c)) |
| One-time pet fee | The tenant (at Perpetual: $350, if pets are permitted) | Owner or manager, as the agreement says | Lease or pet addendum; Perpetual also publishes it in its criteria |
| Pet rent | The tenant (at Perpetual: $25 a month per pet) | Usually the owner, as rent | The lease or pet addendum |
| Late fee | A tenant who pays late | Owner, manager or split, as the agreement says | Notice of the fee in a written lease (92.019(a)(1)) |
| Returned payment, admin or move-in fee | The tenant, if the lease sets one | As the agreement says | The lease; amounts confirmed in writing |
| Lease-break or cancellation fee | A tenant who ends the lease early | As the agreement says | The lease (92.1031(b): "a sum agreed to in the lease as a lease cancellation fee") |
How to read this table: the last column is a legal question and the third is a contract question. Texas law tells the landlord where many fees must appear for the tenant, but it does not decide whether the owner or the manager keeps them. That split lives only in your management agreement, so a manager that "discloses tenant fees" should show you both documents.
When the tenant has to see each fee: listing, application, lease, move-out
Disclosure is about timing as much as wording. A fee the applicant learns about after paying is the start of a dispute. In order:
- Listing. Perpetual's criteria page tells applicants to "be prepared to pay the application fee listed on the property listing," so the fee is visible before anyone applies.
- Application. Section 92.3515(a) requires the landlord, "at the time an applicant is provided with a rental application," to make available printed notice of the selection criteria and the grounds for denial. The applicant signs an acknowledgment that the notice was available (92.3515(b)).
- Lease signing. A late fee can be collected only if "notice of the fee is included in a written lease" (92.019(a)(1)). The landlord must give at least one tenant a complete copy of the lease no later than the third business day after it is signed (92.024(a)).
- During the lease. A tenant may ask for a written statement of whether a late fee is owed and how much (92.0191).
- Move-out. Any deduction from the deposit comes with "a written description and itemized list of all deductions" (92.104(c)).
The application-side clock is explained in the rental application process for owners.
The other half: owner-paid fees and who keeps the tenant fees
Owner-paid fees are what the manager charges you: management, placement, renewal, inspection, coordination and eviction lines. A manager that discloses both sides puts them on a price sheet you can read before a call. Perpetual's pricing page lists three plans with every line, and states that "if a fee is not in the agreement you do not pay it."
Tenant fees sit in between: the tenant pays, someone keeps them, and the statute does not say who. Read three things in the management agreement:
- The compensation section. Does it name each tenant fee and who receives it?
- The definition of rent. Is pet rent part of the rent the management fee is figured on?
- The statement. Will a fee the manager keeps still show as a line on your owner statement?
The arrangements managers use, and their incentives, are compared in who keeps late fees and pet fees, and the owner-side extras to ask about are in hidden property management fees.
The application fee and the selection criteria notice (Property Code 92.3515)
Texas defines an application fee as "a nonrefundable sum of money that is given to the landlord to offset the costs of screening an applicant" (92.351(1-a)). An application deposit is different: it is refundable if the applicant is rejected (92.351(1)).
The notice also protects the fee. The signed acknowledgment must include a statement substantively equivalent to the statute's, which ends: "your application may be rejected and your application fee will not be refunded" (92.3515(c)). If the landlord rejects an applicant without having made the notice available, "the landlord shall return the application fee and any application deposit" (92.3515(e)).
Perpetual publishes its criteria online with the fee in the first criterion: a separate application from each applicant and co-applicant 18 or older, "$60.00 per applicant," and "Any denied or canceled applications are non-refundable." The same page states: "All applicants are evaluated against the same written criteria." This is general information, not legal advice.
Late fees: the three conditions and the tenant's right to a statement
Under section 92.019(a), a landlord may not collect a late fee unless notice of the fee is in a written lease, the fee is reasonable, and any portion of the rent has remained unpaid two full days after the date it was originally due. For a house (a structure with four or fewer units), a fee of not more than 12 percent of the month's rent is considered reasonable (92.019(a-1)). An initial fee plus daily fees count as one late fee (92.019(b)).
Illustrative only, not a quote: on rent of $2,000 a month, 12% is 0.12 x $2,000 = $240. Checked the other way: $240 / $2,000 = 0.12. That $240 is the ceiling for the initial and daily fees together under the 12% test.
A landlord who violates the section owes the tenant $100, three times the improper fee and reasonable attorney's fees (92.019(c)), and a lease clause that waives the section is void (92.019(d)). Separately, a tenant may ask whether a late fee is owed and how much, and the landlord shall provide that statement by the means the two normally use for written communication (92.0191). How late rent unfolds day by day is in late rent in Texas. This is general information, not legal advice.
Pet fees and pet rent: the numbers Perpetual publishes
Perpetual's rental criteria state the pet policy in one sentence: "If pets are permitted with owner's discretion, a one-time non-refundable fee of $350 is due at move-in, plus $25 monthly pet rent per pet." The owner decides whether pets are allowed, and the tenant sees the amounts before applying.
Illustrative only, not a quote: a tenant with one pet on a 12-month lease pays the $350 one-time fee plus 12 x $25 = $300 in pet rent, so $350 + $300 = $650 over the lease. Checked the other way: $300 + $350 = $650. Whether the one-time fee applies per pet when there are two or more, and who keeps it, is confirmed in writing in the lease and the management agreement.
How pet screening and pet deposits work in general is covered in pets in your rental.
Security deposit or a monthly fee instead: what Texas requires in writing
A security deposit is the tenant's money held to secure the lease. The landlord refunds it on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises (92.103(a)), may not keep any part of it for normal wear and tear (92.104(b)), and itemizes any deductions (92.104(c)).
Some landlords offer a monthly fee in place of the deposit. Since 2021 section 92.111 sets the rules: the landlord must also offer the option of a regular deposit, may not use the tenant's choice as an approval criterion, and must notify the tenant in writing of both options and "of the charges for each option." The agreement to pay the fee must be in writing and signed by both sides (92.111(c)).
The fee is paid with each rent payment (92.111(d)). Whether a fee-in-lieu option is offered on a home Perpetual leases is not stated on our site; ask us. This is general information, not legal advice.
Lease-break, returned payment and admin fees: the lease decides
No Property Code section sets the amount of a returned payment, administrative or move-in fee. They exist only if the lease says so, so ask to see the lease form's fee clause before you sign a management agreement.
Leaving early has more law around it:
- Never moved in. If a replacement tenant the landlord secures occupies by the start date, the landlord may deduct either "a sum agreed to in the lease as a lease cancellation fee" or actual expenses (92.1031(b)).
- Moved out early. A landlord has a duty to mitigate damages when a tenant abandons the premises, and a lease clause waiving it is void (91.006).
- Statutory early termination. Sections 92.016, 92.0161 and 92.017 let tenants end a lease in situations involving family violence, certain sex offenses or stalking, and military service. If the lease lacks the statement those sections describe, a tenant who terminates under them is released from delinquent unpaid rent owed on the termination date.
What a placement guarantee does when a tenant leaves early is a separate question, covered in when a tenant the manager placed leaves early.
Charges Texas law limits or forbids
Some tenant charges are restricted no matter what the lease says:
- Governmental fines. A landlord or the landlord's manager or agent may not charge the tenant for a fine imposed on the landlord by a governmental entity unless the tenant or another occupant actually caused the condition (92.018(b)).
- Security devices. A tenant pays for repair or replacement of a lock or other security device only under an underlined lease provision and only for misuse or damage, never normal wear and tear (92.162(a), (b)); the charge may not exceed the third-party contractor's total cost for material, labor, taxes and extra keys (92.162(d)).
- Wear and tear. No part of a deposit may cover normal wear and tear (92.104(b)), and a landlord collecting a fee in lieu of a deposit may not charge for it either (92.111(i)).
This is general information, not legal advice; ask a Texas attorney about a specific lease.
How Perpetual discloses fees in Fort Worth, Keller and North Richland Hills
Perpetual Property Management is a DBA of Perpetual Realty Group, LLC, a Texas brokerage at 5755 Rufe Snow Dr, Suite 155, North Richland Hills, serving Keller, North Richland Hills, Fort Worth and surrounding Northeast Tarrant County communities. What our site publishes on each side:
- Owner fees: three plans on the price sheet (7%, 9% or 10% of monthly rent, tenant placement, renewal, enrollment inspection, coordination and eviction lines), negotiable case by case and "confirmed in writing before you sign."
- Tenant fees: the rental criteria state $60 per applicant, non-refundable for denied or canceled applications, and the pet terms above, with every applicant evaluated against the same written criteria.
- Late fees: "late fees applied per the lease, and escalation steps that are the same for every tenant, every time" (rent collection).
- The promise: "Every fee you pay is listed in your written agreement. If a fee is not in the agreement, you do not pay it" (the Perpetual Promise, subject to the Guarantee Addendum).
Our site does not state the late fee amount in our lease, any returned payment or admin fee, or who keeps the application, pet and late fees between owner and manager, so those are confirmed in writing before you sign. Ask for both lists for your house: start with a free rental analysis or call 682-593-7033.
The takeaway: Ask any manager for two written lists before you sign: the owner's fee schedule and every fee a tenant can be charged, each with who keeps it. Then check that the lease and the management agreement say the same thing.
Questions owners ask
Which DFW property managers disclose tenant-paid fees as well as owner-paid fees?
Look for a manager that publishes both before you sign: an owner fee schedule and the tenant fees in its written rental criteria and lease. Perpetual, serving Fort Worth, Keller and North Richland Hills, lists every owner fee on its pricing page and publishes $60 per applicant, non-refundable, and, if the owner permits pets, a $350 one-time fee plus $25 monthly pet rent per pet. Other tenant fees are set in the lease.
Is a rental application fee refundable in Texas?
Texas defines an application fee as a nonrefundable sum to offset screening costs (Property Code 92.351). But if the landlord rejects an applicant without having made the selection criteria notice available, the landlord must return the application fee and any application deposit (92.3515(e)). Perpetual's criteria state that denied or canceled applications are non-refundable.
How much can a landlord charge for a late fee in Texas?
The fee must be in a written lease, be reasonable, and apply only after rent is unpaid two full days past the due date. For a house, a fee of no more than 12% of the month's rent is considered reasonable; on $2,000 rent that is $240 (illustrative; Property Code 92.019).
Who keeps the pet fee, the owner or the property manager?
Texas law does not say; the management agreement does. At Perpetual, who keeps each tenant fee is confirmed in writing before you sign.
Can a Texas landlord charge a monthly fee instead of a security deposit?
Yes, under Property Code 92.111, if the landlord also offers a regular deposit, does not use the tenant's choice to decide the application, notifies the tenant in writing of the charges for each option, and both sign a written agreement.
Can a tenant ask the landlord what late fees they owe?
Yes. Under Property Code 92.0191 a tenant may request a written statement of whether a late fee is owed and the amount, and the landlord shall provide it. Not responding does not cancel a late fee owed.
Related services
Property management in Keller, North Richland Hills and Fort Worth. How full-service management works in Tarrant County →
