Rent Cap Ledger

Houston · No rent cap

How much can a landlord raise rent in Houston?

No cap

No rent cap in effect · checked Oct 18, 2026

There's no limit on how much a landlord can raise rent in Houston. Texas allows city rent control only in a governor-approved disaster emergency, and state law doesn't cap increases at the end of a lease. The rent can't go up mid-lease unless you agree.

In effect
No cap in effect
Next change
No fixed date
Set by
Texas law (Local Government Code; Property Code) · No rent cap
Last checked
October 18, 2026

Texas cities may adopt rent control only after a disaster-related housing emergency, with the governor's approval. Houston has no cap.

§ 1 · The law

Why Houston has no rent cap

No cap

There's no formula, because there's no cap. Under Local Government Code § 214.902 a Texas city may establish rent control only if it finds a housing emergency caused by a disaster and the governor approves the ordinance. The Texas State Law Library notes that no state law stops a landlord from raising rent by any amount once a lease term is up.

Law: No rent control: Texas Local Government Code § 214.902 allows it only in a governor-approved disaster emergency.

§ 2 · Coverage

What still limits an increase

What applies

  • A landlord can't raise rent during a lease term unless the tenant agrees
  • No retaliatory increase within six months after a tenant asks for repairs, complains to code enforcement or joins a tenant organization (Property Code § 92.331)
  • Ending a month-to-month tenancy takes notice of at least one month, unless a signed agreement sets a different period (Property Code § 91.001)

Limits that don't apply

  • No limit on the size of an increase at the end of a lease
  • Rent control is possible only in a governor-approved disaster emergency (Local Government Code § 214.902)

§ 3 · Timing

Notice, and when it changes next

Notice: Texas law sets no specific notice period for a rent increase. The rent can't change mid-lease unless the tenant agrees, and a month-to-month tenancy ends on at least one month's notice unless a signed agreement says otherwise (Property Code § 91.001).

Next change: No change is scheduled. Rent control would require a disaster-related housing emergency and the governor's approval.

§ 2a · State rules

What Texas law does limit

  • No increase mid-lease without agreement

    The rent set by a lease holds for the lease term unless the tenant agrees to a change.

    Source: “A landlord also cannot raise the rent before the lease term is up unless the tenant agrees to the changes.”

  • No retaliatory increases

    For six months after a tenant in good faith asks for repairs, reports a code violation or joins a tenant organization, the landlord may not retaliate by raising the rent.

    Source: “(4) increasing the tenant's rent or terminating the tenant's lease”

  • Month-to-month notice

    Either side can end a month-to-month tenancy with notice; it ends no sooner than one month after notice is given, unless both signed an agreement setting a different period.

    Source: “one month after the day on which the notice is given”

Cost of living here

Rents and prices around Houston

Official figures only, each for the area named. Prices are for the wider metro area; rents and incomes are for the city itself.

Price level

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area · BEA 2024

All items98.6
Housing104.5

Regional Price Parities: an index where the US average price level for all items = 100. Housing is BEA’s “Services: Housing” line (US = 100.6).

Fair Market Rents

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area · HUD FY2027

HUD Fair Market Rent per month by unit size, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area
Studio$1,233
1 bedroom$1,261
2 bedrooms$1,497
3 bedrooms$2,017
4 bedrooms$2,502

Monthly gross rent (rent plus utilities). HUD: FMRs are “estimates of 40th percentile gross rents for standard quality units”.

Rents and incomes

Houston city, Texas · ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Median gross rent
$1,361/mo US $1,413/mo
Median household income
$64,813 US $80,734
Median rent as % of household income
32.1% US 30.6%

Gross rent includes utilities. The rent-to-income figure is for renter households (Census table B25071).

Sources

  1. BEA Regional Price Parities by metropolitan area (MARPP) ↗ · 2024 (released February 19, 2026) · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  2. OMB metropolitan area delineations (Census list 1, July 2023) ↗ · July 2023 (OMB Bulletin 23-01) · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  3. HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027 (county-level data file) ↗ · FY2027 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026
  4. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (tables B25064, B19013, B25071) ↗ · 2020–2024 · about the data ↗ · retrieved Oct 18, 2026

Compare Houston with another city → All places ranked → Can I afford my rent? →

§ 4 · Sources

Official sources

  1. Texas Legislature · headline figure Local Government Code § 214.902 (rent control) ↗
    “The governing body of a municipality may, by ordinance, establish rent control if: (1) the governing body finds that a housing emergency exists due to a disaster as defined by Section 418.004, Government Code; and (2) the governor approves the ordinance.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · statutes.capitol.texas.gov
  2. Texas State Law Library · no limit on amount Can my landlord raise my rent? ↗
    “There are no state laws that prevent a landlord from increasing the rent by any amount once a lease term is up.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · sll.texas.gov
  3. Texas Legislature · retaliation Property Code § 92.331 (retaliation by landlord) ↗
    “A landlord may not, within six months after the date of the tenant's action under Subsection (a), retaliate against the tenant by:”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · statutes.capitol.texas.gov
  4. Texas Legislature · month-to-month notice Property Code § 91.001 (notice for terminating certain tenancies) ↗
    “A monthly tenancy or a tenancy from month to month may be terminated by the tenant or the landlord giving notice of termination to the other.”
    Last checked October 18, 2026 · statutes.capitol.texas.gov

See something out of date? The methodology page explains how we check figures.

§ 5 · Questions

Frequently asked

How much can a landlord raise rent in Houston?

There's no limit on how much a landlord can raise rent in Houston. Texas allows city rent control only in a governor-approved disaster emergency, and state law doesn't cap increases at the end of a lease. The rent can't go up mid-lease unless you agree.

How much notice is required for a rent increase in Houston?

Texas law sets no specific notice period for a rent increase. The rent can't change mid-lease unless the tenant agrees, and a month-to-month tenancy ends on at least one month's notice unless a signed agreement says otherwise (Property Code § 91.001).

How often can rent be raised in Houston?

We haven't found a once-a-year limit on the official sources we track; a fixed-term lease usually can't be changed mid-term unless it says so.

Could Houston adopt rent control?

No change is scheduled. Rent control would require a disaster-related housing emergency and the governor's approval.

Where does this Houston information come from?

From Texas Legislature: “Local Government Code § 214.902 (rent control)”, which we last checked on October 18, 2026, plus the other official sources listed on this page. Always confirm with the agency or a lawyer before relying on it.

Same state

Other caps in Texas

Elsewhere

Other jurisdictions