House Bill No. 230 amends Section 92.054 of the Property Code to establish a landlord's liability to tenants for casualty losses to residential rental premises caused by the landlord's negligence or fault. The new provisions require that if the rental premises become unusable due to such a casualty, the landlord must either allow the tenant to move to comparable rental premises owned by the landlord, or, if no such premises are available, the landlord must locate comparable rental premises and cover any rent difference that exceeds the tenant's current lease amount.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that these new landlord duties are supplementary to existing landlord responsibilities and tenant remedies under the same subchapter. The provisions apply only to leases entered into or renewed after the bill's effective date, which is set for 91 days following the end of the legislative session.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: Property Code 92.054 (Property Code 92)