Tex. Prop. Code Ann. §§ 92.001–92.355 § 92.157
SECURITY DEVICES REQUESTED BY TENANT.
Operative Text
Sec. 92.157. SECURITY DEVICES REQUESTED BY TENANT. (a) At a tenant's request made at any time, a landlord, at the tenant's expense, shall install:(1) a keyed dead bolt on an exterior door if the door has:(A) a doorknob lock but not a keyed dead bolt; or(B) a keyless bolting device but not a keyed dead bolt or doorknob lock; and(2) a sliding door handle latch or sliding door security bar if the door is an exterior sliding glass door without a sliding door handle latch or sliding door security bar.(b) At a tenant's request made before January 1, 1995, a landlord, at the tenant's expense, shall install on an exterior door of a dwelling constructed before September 1, 1993:(1) a keyless bolting device if the door does not have a keyless bolting device; and(2) a door viewer if the door does not have a door viewer.(c) If a security device required by Section 92.153 to be installed on or after January 1, 1995, without necessity of a tenant's request has not been installed by the landlord, the tenant may request the landlord to immediately install it, and the landlord shall immediately install it at the landlord's expense. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 357, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1993.Amended by: Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1072 (H.B. 2404), Sec. 2, eff. January 1, 2016.Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1198 (S.B. 1367), Sec. 7, eff. January 1, 2016.
Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.157, a landlord is required to install certain security devices on exterior doors when a tenant requests them, with the cost generally falling on the tenant. Covered devices include keyed dead bolts, sliding door handle latches, and sliding door security bars for doors that lack them. A separate rule applies when a device was already required by § 92.153 to be installed without any request — in that case, the landlord must install it promptly at the landlord's own expense once the tenant asks.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.157, compliant operators respond to tenant requests for keyed dead bolts, sliding door handle latches, or sliding door security bars by arranging installation on qualifying exterior doors and billing the tenant for that cost. Operators also track which security devices were mandated under § 92.153 to be installed on or after January 1, 1995, without a tenant request, because any such device not yet installed must be added immediately at the landlord's expense upon tenant demand. Maintaining clear records of installation dates and tenant communications helps demonstrate compliance with the tiered obligations this section creates.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tex. Prop. Code § 92.157 gives tenants the right to request installation of keyed dead bolts, sliding door handle latches, or sliding door security bars on exterior doors that lack them, though tenants generally bear the cost of those upgrades. If a security device was already required under § 92.153 to be installed without any request and the landlord has not done so, a tenant can demand immediate installation at no charge to the tenant. Tenants who believe a landlord has not complied may consider contacting a local tenant-rights organization, reviewing the remedies available elsewhere in Chapter 92, or consulting a licensed Texas attorney to understand available enforcement paths.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
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Rules and statutes that cite this regulation