Texas Apartments That Accept Broken Leases (Real Approval Rules)

TL;DR: A broken lease doesn’t disqualify a renter from every apartment in Texas, but it does change the approval process. At approximately 95% of communities where a broken lease creates a screening barrier, a third-party guarantee (bonding service) is required to secure approval. The bond costs roughly one month’s rent, paid upfront or split over 5-6 months. A smaller number of communities can approve without the bond when property debt is under $1,000, credit is above 600, and income meets 3x monthly rent. The screening form below captures the variables that determine which pathway (and which communities) fit each renter’s profile.

What a Broken Lease Actually Means for Your Apartment Search in Texas

Application fees in Texas run $50-$75 per person. Non-refundable. Renters with a broken lease on their record who apply without knowing which communities will work with their profile submit 5-8 applications on average before landing an approval. That’s $250-$600 gone before a lease gets signed, all at properties that were never going to approve them.

Most apartment websites don’t fix this. “Be upfront about your rental history.” “Offer a larger deposit.” “Provide strong references.” That guidance assumes a human is reviewing the application and weighing the renter’s explanation against their current financial picture. At the majority of Texas apartment communities, that’s not what happens.

Here’s what actually happens: the leasing office runs the application through screening software. That software pulls rental history through a database, usually LexisNexis. If a broken lease record appears, the system flags the application and returns a deny recommendation. The leasing agent processes the denial. At most communities, nobody overrides it. The renter gets a rejection email and loses the application fee.

Being honest about a broken lease doesn’t help when the screening software has already made the call.

What changes this outcome is the third-party guarantee, a bonding service that insures the apartment community against loss of rent for up to 3 months if there’s another eviction or broken lease during the lease term. The bond neutralizes the financial objection the community has to approving someone with a broken lease on their screening report. It’s required at roughly 95% of communities where the broken lease creates a barrier. It works across all property classes: A, B, and C.

StopTXEviction.org has mapped screening criteria across more than 1,000 apartment communities statewide. Operated by Apartment Access Group and brokered by Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC (TX Broker License #562021), the service matches broken lease, eviction, and property debt profiles to communities with compatible screening criteria. Renters stop burning application fees at properties that were going to auto-decline their profile before a human ever saw the file.

This page covers how broken lease screening actually works in Texas, the two approval pathways, real costs, what the law says, and what options look like across Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin.

Broken Lease vs. Eviction vs. Property Debt: Three Separate Problems

Most apartment websites lump broken leases, evictions, and property debt into one category: “rental history issues.” That’s like saying a speeding ticket and a suspended license are the same thing because they both involve driving. They show up differently on screening reports, they trigger different responses from screening software, and they require different strategies to resolve.

What Counts as a Broken Lease

A broken lease means the renter ended a lease agreement before its term was up, or stayed through the end but didn’t follow the exit requirements (usually the 30- or 60-day written notice most Texas leases require). Moving out early without landlord consent, failing to give proper written notice, leaving an unpaid balance, or causing damage beyond the security deposit can all result in a broken lease on the renter’s record.

How it hits the screening report depends on what the former landlord did next. If they reported the lease break to LexisNexis or sent the outstanding balance to a collection agency, that record surfaces when the next community runs screening. If the former landlord didn’t report it (which does happen, especially with smaller independent landlords), the broken lease may not appear on the screening report at all. But the renter usually doesn’t know which scenario applies until they apply somewhere and get the result.

How a Broken Lease Differs from an Eviction

An eviction is a court action. Specifically, it’s a forcible detainer suit filed by a landlord in Justice of the Peace court. That creates a court record, a public filing that screening databases pick up regardless of whether the former landlord reported anything. The blog on when eviction filings appear on screening reports covers the timeline in detail.

A broken lease, on its own, is a contractual issue. No court involved (unless the landlord escalated it into an eviction filing or sued for unpaid rent). The distinction matters because court records and landlord-reported records show up in different places on a screening report and carry different weight.

Some renters have both: they broke the lease and the landlord filed an eviction. Some have a broken lease but no eviction. Some have an eviction but the lease technically ran its full term before the landlord filed. Each combination creates a different screening profile.

Property Debt: The Barrier That Follows the Broken Lease

Property debt is the dollar amount owed to a former landlord. Unpaid rent, early termination fees, reletting charges, damage beyond the deposit, cleaning fees. It’s the financial residue of the broken lease, and it creates its own screening barrier separate from the broken lease record itself.

This is the part that catches renters off guard. A renter might assume that because 3 years have passed since the broken lease, the issue has faded. But if there’s still $2,400 owed to the former landlord, or worse, if that debt went to collections and has ballooned to $3,500 with fees and interest, the property debt flag on the screening report is active regardless of how old the broken lease is. Time doesn’t clear it. Paying it off does.

Dollar amount matters for approval strategy. Under $1,000 in property debt opens a narrow possibility for in-house approval at some communities without requiring the bond (when combined with credit above 600 and income at 3x monthly rent). Above $1,000, the bond is almost certainly required. Above $3,000 with other compounding factors, options start to thin out even with the bond.

Outstanding property debt also shows up on credit reports if it’s been sent to collections, which means it’s hitting the renter’s screening from two directions: the rental history database and the credit pull. Resolving the debt doesn’t instantly clear the flag from LexisNexis, but it does improve the screening profile over time and strengthens the renter’s position when the bond is submitted. Renters who have paid off the balance and wonder whether it disappears from the record will find the answer in that walkthrough.

How Apartment Screening Software Handles Broken Leases

What the Screening Report Actually Shows

When a renter applies at a Texas apartment community, the property runs screening through one or more databases. For rental history, the primary source is LexisNexis. What comes back: former addresses, landlord-reported lease violations or balances owed, eviction court records, and (when reported) broken lease flags from previous landlords.

Screening software matches these records against the community’s preset criteria. If a broken lease record falls inside the community’s lookback window, the system kicks back a deny recommendation. At most communities, that recommendation goes straight to the leasing office as a decline. No human review. No opportunity to explain.

Here’s what “case-by-case” actually means at the majority of Texas apartment communities. The leasing website says “case-by-case” because it sounds reassuring. Screening software doesn’t do case-by-case. It checks the record against the preset criteria and returns a pass or deny. The case got decided by an algorithm before anyone at the leasing office opened the file.

Lookback Periods: How Far Back Communities Check

Lookback periods determine how far back the screening software searches for broken lease records. They vary by individual property, not by property class, not by city, not by management company as a rule. Two communities on the same street, managed by the same company, can run different lookback settings in their screening software. Nobody would guess that from the outside, but it’s true.

Some communities need the broken lease to be over 2 years old before they’ll consider an application with the bond. Others work with more recent broken leases, under a year old in some cases. The FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) caps reporting at 7 years, which sets the outer boundary. But most communities set their internal lookback windows shorter than the legal maximum.

All property-specific data. No public database tracks which communities use which lookback settings. It gets identified through the screening process, which is why submitting the screening form with the broken lease details (when it happened, how much is owed, whether it’s been resolved) is the step that unlocks the actual options.

How Renters with Broken Leases Get Approved in Texas

Two pathways. The third-party guarantee (the bond), or the narrow in-house exception. Everything else renters get told to try (explanation letters, offering more deposit money, applying at dozens of communities and hoping) either doesn’t work or is a version of one of these two pathways dressed up in different language.

The Primary Pathway: Third-Party Guarantee

The third-party guarantee is what makes most broken lease approvals happen in Texas. Not charm. Not references. Not a well-written letter explaining what went wrong at the last apartment.

Here’s how it works: a bonding company steps in and tells the apartment community that if the tenant doesn’t pay rent, the bonding company absorbs the loss, up to 3 months of rent. That coverage eliminates the financial risk the community would otherwise take on by approving someone with a broken lease, property debt, or eviction history on their screening report.

It works across all property classes. Class A, Class B, Class C. A renter earning $5,400/month who can afford $1,800/month at a Class A community has that option with the bond, same as a renter targeting $1,100/month in Class C inventory. Income and affordability determine which communities a renter can access. Credit score moves the security deposit amount. And the bond opens the door.

Cost: typically one month’s rent. On a $1,300/month apartment, that’s around $1,300. Some providers offer a split payment: roughly 60% upfront, the rest spread over 5-6 months. That fee goes directly to the bonding company. StopTXEviction.org doesn’t receive any portion of it.

One thing the bond does not do: override criminal background screening. The bond covers the financial risk of rent default for renters with broken leases, evictions, and property debt. Renters with felony or misdemeanor history still need to meet each community’s criminal screening requirements separately. The bond addresses rental history barriers. Nothing else.

And the renter must meet the community’s income requirement whether the bond is in place or not. Most communities require 2x-3x monthly rent in gross income. The bond doesn’t waive that threshold.

The Narrow Exception: In-House Approval Without the Bond

A small number of communities can approve a renter with a broken lease on their record without requiring the bond. This happens when all three of these conditions line up:

1. Property debt is under $1,000
2. Credit score is above 600
3. Income meets 3x the monthly rent

All three. Not one or two. And this is property-specific. It depends on the community’s management company and their internal policies. Some communities where the renter meets all three criteria still require the bond. There’s no public list of which ones offer this flexibility.

How it gets identified: through the screening process. When a renter submits their profile through the screening form, StopTXEviction.org evaluates whether in-house approval is realistic at any of the matched communities, and presents it alongside bond-based options so the renter can compare.

Plan around the bond. If in-house approval turns out to be available, that’s a better outcome than expected. But building the search strategy around the exception is how renters end up submitting 8 applications and burning $400-$600 in fees discovering it wasn’t available at any of them.

Budget for the bond first. Adjust down if the exception comes through.

What Doesn’t Work (and Where the Real Limits Are)

Some honest limitations here. Not every broken lease situation resolves easily, and the advice floating around on other apartment websites ranges from incomplete to flat wrong.

“Be upfront and explain your situation.” This assumes a human reviews the application before the screening software decides. At the majority of communities, the software returns the deny recommendation before anyone reads the application notes. Honesty is fine. It doesn’t override the algorithm.

Offering a larger security deposit. Some communities accept increased deposits, but only after the screening barrier is cleared. More money doesn’t get the application past the screening software. The bond does.

Applying broadly and hoping for the best. The most expensive mistake. Every application at a community that was going to auto-decline costs $50-$75 and returns nothing. Five rejected applications is $250-$375 gone. Eight is $400-$600. The screening form at StopTXEviction.org costs nothing and identifies which communities actually match the renter’s profile before they apply.

Hard stops to know about: Multiple broken leases with outstanding property debt above $3,000, combined with credit below 500, narrows the community list hard, even with the bond. Options don’t disappear, but they get limited in geography, unit type, and price range. Active criminal cases create a separate barrier the bond doesn’t address. And renters who can’t meet the income requirement at any community in their target area face a math problem no screening strategy solves. If gross monthly income doesn’t clear 2x the rent at the lowest-priced option available, the search needs to expand geographically or the budget needs to adjust.

These aren’t reasons to stop looking. They’re the realistic boundaries of what the process can do, and knowing them before starting prevents the false expectations that lead to wasted fees and wasted weeks.

What the Approval Path Actually Looks Like

A renter with a broken lease from 2 years ago, $800 in property debt to a former landlord, a 620 credit score, and gross monthly income of $4,200 submits the screening form. Profile gets evaluated against community-level screening criteria across their target metro.

In this scenario, property debt is under $1,000, credit clears 600, and income covers 3x at communities up to $1,400/month. In-house approval might be available at a few communities, but the bond pathway also gets matched against a wider set of options in the same rent range.

Matched community options come back with rent, estimated bond cost (if applicable), deposit range, and timeline. The renter requests tours, visits the communities they’re interested in, and applies at their top choice, listing Spirit Real Estate as the apartment locator on the application.

If the bond is required, the community sends a screening email with results and a payment link. Payment gets completed within 72 hours. Lease goes together once payment confirms.

One timing note: don’t use ACH debit transfer for the bond payment if the move is urgent. The community waits for ACH funds to clear before preparing the lease, which adds several business days. For fast moves, use a payment method that clears immediately.

Timeline from screening form to lease signing: typically 1-3 weeks, depending on how quickly the renter tours and decides.

What a Broken Lease Actually Costs: The Full Move-In Math

Nobody else publishing content for this keyword puts the real numbers on the page. That’s a problem. Because the biggest source of frustration for broken lease renters, after the denials, is finding out at the last stage that move-in costs run $1,000-$1,500 higher than they planned for.

Move-In Cost Breakdown with the Bond

Example at a $1,200/month unit: Bond (~$1,200) + application ($75) + admin ($200) + deposit ($400) + first month ($1,200) = approximately $3,075 total move-in. At a $1,500/month unit, that total climbs to roughly $3,775. [AS OF February 2026]

These are estimates. Actual figures vary by community, credit profile, and whether the bond provider offers a split payment option. But the renter who walks in knowing the ballpark doesn’t get blindsided at lease signing.

Move-In Without the Bond (In-House Exception)

Same breakdown minus the bond cost. At a $1,200/month unit: approximately $1,875 total move-in. The deposit may run slightly higher at communities that approve in-house, since they’re absorbing the risk the bond would have covered.

The Hidden Cost: Application Fee Burn

Renters with broken leases who apply without knowing which communities will work with their profile spend $250-$600 on application fees before finding an approval. That’s 5-8 applications at $50-$75 each, every one declined.

With screening-matched applications through StopTXEviction.org, the average drops to 1-2 applications. The locating service is free. Communities pay a referral fee from their existing marketing budget when the renter lists Spirit Real Estate as the referring source on the application. The renter’s rent, deposit, application fee, and move-in costs are the same whether they use the service or find the apartment on their own.

The savings come from not burning $250-$600 at properties that were going to auto-decline the profile before a person ever looked at it.

ACH Payment Warning for Urgent Moves

Renters who need to move fast shouldn’t use ACH debit transfer for the bond payment. ACH takes days to clear, and the apartment community won’t prep the lease until the funds land. For urgent moves, use certified funds or debit card where accepted.

Texas Law and Broken Leases: What the Property Code Says

Texas law doesn’t prevent a landlord from reporting a broken lease or pursuing a renter for the remaining balance. But it does set boundaries on what the landlord can charge and what obligations they carry after the renter leaves.

The Landlord’s Duty to Mitigate Damages (§ 91.006)

This is the Texas Property Code provision most broken lease renters don’t know exists. Under § 91.006, when a tenant breaks a lease and moves out early, the landlord has a legal duty to mitigate damages, which courts have interpreted as requiring reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit. The landlord can’t leave the apartment empty for six months and bill the former tenant for every month of vacancy.

What this looks like in practice: the landlord must actively try to find a replacement tenant. They don’t have to accept the first applicant who walks in. But they do have to market and show the unit rather than letting it sit vacant while the former tenant’s balance grows.

If the landlord re-rents within a month of the renter’s departure, the former tenant’s financial exposure drops to roughly one month of rent plus applicable fees, not the remaining 8 months left on the lease. That’s a real protection most renters don’t realize they have.

One more piece: any clause in a Texas lease that purports to waive the landlord’s duty to mitigate damages is void under § 91.006. The duty applies regardless of what the lease says.

Notice Requirements (§ 91.001)

For month-to-month leases, either the landlord or tenant can terminate the tenancy by giving notice. Under § 91.001, the tenancy ends on whichever date is later: the date specified in the notice, or one month after the day notice is given.

For fixed-term leases (the standard 12-month lease most Texas renters sign), the notice requirement depends on the lease terms. Most leases require 30 or 60 days’ written notice before the end of the lease term. Missing this window is one of the most common ways renters accidentally create a broken lease. They planned to move at the end of their term but didn’t submit written notice on time, and the former landlord charged for the notice period. TexasLawHelp.org’s lease termination guide covers additional scenarios including military deployment and domestic violence protections.

Reletting Fees

When a renter breaks a lease, the landlord can charge a reletting fee to cover the actual costs of preparing the unit for a new tenant and processing the turnover. Texas courts have held that reletting fees can’t be punitive. They cover real expenses: marketing, cleaning, minor repairs, administrative work.

Many Texas leases specify the reletting fee upfront. 85% of one month’s rent is a common figure, though amounts vary. This fee becomes part of the property debt that shows on screening reports. So a renter who thinks they owe $400 in unpaid rent may actually owe $400 plus a $1,000 reletting fee plus cleaning charges. That pushes total property debt well past the $1,000 threshold where in-house approval might have been possible.

Security Deposit Return Timeline (§ 92.103 and § 92.104)

After a renter moves out, whether at lease end or after breaking the lease, § 92.103 requires the landlord to refund the security deposit on or before the 30th day after the tenant surrenders the premises. If the landlord retains any portion, § 92.104 requires a written, itemized list of all deductions. If the landlord fails to return the deposit or provide that itemized list within 30 days, they’re presumed to have acted in bad faith under § 92.109, which can make them liable for $100 plus three times the portion of the deposit wrongfully withheld, plus the tenant’s reasonable attorney’s fees.

This matters for broken lease renters because former landlords sometimes withhold the entire deposit without proper itemization. It happens more often than it should. Knowing the 30-day rule and the penalty for noncompliance gives renters standing in disputes about what’s actually owed, which directly affects the property debt number that surfaces on the next screening report. The Texas State Law Library’s security deposit guide has a full breakdown of tenant protections under this subchapter.

SB 38: 2026 Eviction Law Changes

Senate Bill 38 took effect January 1, 2026. It changed several aspects of the Texas eviction process. For renters whose broken lease escalated into an eviction filing, the new law affects process timelines, notice delivery methods, and appeal requirements.

Full details of SB 38 are covered on the eviction informational pages. The key point for broken lease renters: faster eviction timelines under SB 38 mean cases move through JP court more quickly. That can affect how soon an eviction filing shows up on screening reports alongside the broken lease record.

Broken Lease Apartments Across Texas: Where the Inventory Is

StopTXEviction.org covers five major Texas metros plus surrounding areas. Bonding service network includes communities across all property classes and price points in each market, but the inventory size, rent ranges, and geographic spread differ by metro.

This section is the overview. Each city has a dedicated page with sub-area breakdowns, neighborhood-level inventory counts by zip code, local rent context, and area-specific screening notes. Links are below each metro.

Houston

Houston’s bonding network is 269 communities, the widest geographic spread of any Texas market. Inventory runs from the Inner Loop (Midtown, Montrose, Museum District) through the energy corridors to the west, southeast along Beltway 8, and north through Spring, Tomball, and Cypress. Sheer market size means more options at every price tier, which matters most for renters whose broken lease profile requires specific screening criteria to line up.

For sub-area breakdowns by zip code, screening patterns, and community-level options: Explore Houston

Dallas

275 communities. Highest single-metro count in the network. Inventory runs dense through downtown, Uptown, and the 635 corridor, with strong coverage into Richardson, Garland, Mesquite, Irving, Grand Prairie, and the southern suburbs. One thing worth knowing about Dallas: it has a high concentration of newer Class A and B builds that work with the bonding service. Renters with broken leases and higher incomes have more options here than the “second chance apartments mean Class C only” assumption would suggest.

For neighborhood breakdowns by zip code, screening patterns, and community-level options: Review Options in Dallas

Fort Worth

Fort Worth is its own market. Different management companies, different screening patterns, different inventory mix from Dallas. The 98 communities in the bonding network concentrate along the I-30 corridor, through the Near Southside and West 7th areas, and out into Arlington, Mansfield, and Weatherford. Renters who work in Fort Worth don’t need to search the Dallas side of the metroplex. The local inventory matches most broken lease profiles without a long commute.

For neighborhood breakdowns by zip code, screening patterns, and community-level options: Fort Worth Choices

San Antonio

San Antonio has the lowest average rents of the five major metros, which means the bond cost (since it scales with rent) is lower in absolute dollar terms here than in Austin or Dallas. 193 communities in the network cover the full metro: Downtown, Alamo Heights, the Medical Center area, the Northeast Side (one of the densest inventory zones), the growing Far West Side, and south through Brooks and Southside. Lower rent floor also means income requirements are easier to clear, which opens more of the community list for renters at any income level.

For neighborhood breakdowns by zip code, screening patterns, and community-level options: Consider San Antonio

Austin

Austin is the tightest market of the five. 83 communities in the bonding network, which reflects the rental market’s overall supply constraints, not a gap in coverage. Inventory concentrates in North Austin, the I-35 corridor through Round Rock and Pflugerville, and southeast Austin through Del Valle. Central Austin and the downtown core have limited bonding-network options because the property mix skews heavily toward Class A communities with restrictive screening defaults. Expect a smaller initial list of matched communities compared to Houston or Dallas. But the options that do match tend to move quickly once the bond is in place.

For neighborhood breakdowns by zip code, screening patterns, and community-level options: Apartments in Austin

The Process: Screening Form to Signed Lease

The process from first contact to lease signing runs through 11 steps. This isn’t a vague “we’ll work with you” overview. It’s the actual sequence, in order.

1. Renter fills out the screening form with the full profile: broken lease date, property debt amount, credit range, income, target metro and budget, move-in timeline, and whether there’s an eviction or criminal history alongside the broken lease.
2. StopTXEviction.org screens the profile against community-specific policies across the target metro. This identifies which communities match the renter’s specific combination of broken lease age, debt amount, credit, and income.
3. Matched community options are presented with rent, estimated bond cost (if applicable), estimated deposit range, and timeline.
4. Renter reviews options and requests tours at the communities they’re interested in. The team doesn’t pick the community. The renter does.
5. Renter tours in person. This is encouraged for every option, not just the top choice. Floor plans, unit condition, parking, noise levels. Things that don’t show up on a listing page matter.
6. Renter applies at their chosen community, listing Spirit Real Estate as the apartment locator on the application. This is how the community identifies the referral source, and it doesn’t change the renter’s rent, deposit, or any other cost.
7. Community processes the application through credit pull, background check, income verification, rental history screening.
8. Renter receives the screening email from the community with results. This email comes from the property, not from StopTXEviction.org.
9. Renter reviews results and receives payment link for the bond fee (if required). The team walks through the screening results and answers questions about the bonding service, costs, or anything else.
10. Payment completed within 72 hours. Avoid ACH debit transfer for urgent moves. Use a payment method that clears immediately.
11. Community puts the lease together once payment is confirmed. Lease signing follows.

Support is available through the entire process, from the initial screening form through lease signing. The service is free to renters. Communities pay a referral fee from their existing marketing budget when the renter lists Spirit Real Estate as the referring source. Renter’s costs don’t change.

Phone: 1-877-595-8745

FAQ: Broken Lease Apartments in Texas

Questions below cover the most common broken lease screening topics. For profile-specific answers, call 1-877-595-8745 or fill out the screening form.

Do apartments actually check for broken leases on background checks?

Yes. Most Texas apartment communities pull rental history through screening databases, and LexisNexis is the primary source. If a former landlord reported the broken lease or if there’s an outstanding balance that went to collections, that record surfaces when the community runs screening. Software matches it against the community’s preset criteria and kicks back a pass or deny recommendation. At most communities, a deny gets processed as a decline without human review.

How long does a broken lease stay on your record in Texas?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) limits reporting to 7 years. That’s the legal maximum a broken lease can appear on a screening report. But most communities set their internal lookback windows shorter, typically 2 to 5 years. Lookback periods are property-by-property, not set by any statewide standard. A broken lease from 4 years ago may fall outside the lookback at some communities while still showing at others.

What’s the difference between a broken lease and an eviction?

A broken lease is a contractual issue: the renter left before the lease ended or didn’t follow exit requirements. An eviction is a court action: the landlord filed a forcible detainer suit in Justice of the Peace court. Broken leases don’t automatically create a court record. Evictions always do. Some renters have both (broke the lease and the landlord filed for eviction). Each shows up differently on screening reports and creates different barriers. Approval process is similar for both, though. The bond is required at roughly 95% of communities where either creates a screening barrier.

Can you get an apartment with a broken lease and no money owed?

A broken lease with zero property debt is easier to work with than one with an outstanding balance, but it doesn’t eliminate the screening barrier at most communities. The broken lease record itself, independent of the debt, trips a flag on the screening report. Bond is still required at most communities. Having no property debt does improve the odds of qualifying for in-house approval (no bond) at communities that offer that flexibility, since one of the three requirements is property debt under $1,000.

How much does it cost to rent an apartment with a broken lease in Texas?

Total move-in costs with the bond at a $1,200/month unit run approximately $3,075, including the bond (~$1,200), application fee ($50-$75), admin fee ($100-$300), security deposit ($150-$800), and first month’s rent. Without the bond (in-house exception), move-in at the same unit is roughly $1,875. Costs vary by community, credit profile, and rent amount. Bond cost scales with rent. At a $1,500/month unit, the bond is ~$1,500.

What is a third-party guarantee and how much does it cost?

A third-party guarantee (also called a bonding service) is a product where a bonding company insures the apartment community against rent loss. If the tenant doesn’t pay rent, the bonding company covers up to 3 months. The cost is typically one month’s rent, payable upfront or split (~60% upfront, remainder over 5-6 months). The fee goes to the bonding company. StopTXEviction.org doesn’t receive any portion of the bond payment.

Can a landlord in Texas charge you after a broken lease?

Yes. The landlord can pursue the remaining lease balance, early termination fees, reletting fees, cleaning costs, and damages beyond the deposit. But Texas Property Code § 91.006 requires the landlord to make reasonable efforts to re-rent the unit. The landlord can’t leave it vacant and charge the former tenant for every remaining month. If they re-rent quickly, the former tenant’s exposure drops sharply. Any reletting fee must be reasonable and reflect actual costs and can’t be punitive.

Is StopTXEviction.org a free service?

Yes. The locating service is free to renters. Communities pay a referral fee from their existing marketing budget when the renter lists Spirit Real Estate as the apartment locator on their application. The renter’s rent, deposit, application fees, and move-in costs are the same whether they use the service or find the apartment independently. The only cost the renter pays that they wouldn’t otherwise is the bond, and that’s paid to the bonding company, not to StopTXEviction.org.

What documents do I need to apply with a broken lease?

Standard application requirements apply: government-issued photo ID, proof of income (recent pay stubs, offer letter, or bank statements), and the application fee. StopTXEviction.org’s screening form collects the broken lease details upfront (date, property debt amount, credit range, income, and target area) so the team can match before the renter applies and pays any fees. No documentation is needed to fill out the screening form itself.

What Determines Your Options

The combination of four variables (broken lease age, property debt amount, credit score, and income) determines which communities fit and whether the bond is needed or the in-house exception applies. That’s it. Not charm, not negotiation skills, not how many places a renter applies to. Four data points, matched against community-level screening criteria. Everything else in this article flows from those four numbers.

The screening form captures those variables. That’s the step that starts the process.

Phone: 1-877-595-8745

StopTXEviction.org is a free apartment locating service operated by Apartment Access Group. After matching to a community, renters select “Apartment Locator” on their application and list Spirit Real Estate as the referring source. Communities pay a referral fee from their marketing budget. The renter’s costs don’t change.

StopTXEviction.org is an online portal and toolkit originally created by Texas legal aid providers to help renters avoid eviction. We provide resources to understand tenant rights, locate rental assistance, connect with legal aid and find second chance apartments. Screening criteria, approval pathways, and community inventory are subject to change. Information on this page reflects conditions as of February 2026 and is updated periodically. StopTXEviction.org is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. For legal questions about broken leases, landlord-tenant disputes, or eviction defense, consult a licensed Texas attorney or contact TexasLawHelp.org for free legal resources.

Community availability, rent ranges, deposit amounts, and screening criteria referenced on this page are approximations based on current network data and may vary by property, management company, and market conditions. Individual results depend on each renter’s specific screening profile.

StopTXEviction.org is committed to fair housing. All services are provided without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, or any other characteristic protected under the Fair Housing Act.