Securing a rental home in Texas takes three major steps. Until you knock them all out, another party can come in with a better offer and steal your rental away. So even if a rental home has been on the market for a long time, always treat your rental search like the homes have JUST come to market. And move through these steps as quickly as possible.

For Most Landlords, You Actually Have To See The Home

There were a lot of problems with tenants sending their applications to properties sight-unseen. The number one problem? “This is not nearly as nice as the pictures.” Honorable mentions are “I didn’t know there was such a bad smell.” “You never told me about the train tracks in the backyard.” And for those renters who thought they outsmarted the real estate market by NOT working with an agent, “the pictures showed a fridge, plus washer and dryer. What do you mean those aren’t included even though they are specifically not mentioned in the lease I just signed without a professional looking it over for me?”

TREC (The Texas Real Estate Commission) recently adjusted their promulgated lease application to include a section that specifically asks if the tenant has seen the property. For those who answer no, be aware your application might be a lot less interesting to a landlord.

You Must Sign The Lease (And The Landlord Must Accept It)

This is a two parter. Most likely, when you receive the lease, it is already signed by the landlord. If you are working with a Realtor, the lease will most likely already been checked for errors and clarifications on your responsibilities during the lease term. Then it will be signed by the landlord. Then by you.

BUT WAIT, there’s more! After you sign and return the lease, it must be accepted by the landlord! On the final page of the lease (it’s 17 pages long) there is a section where the landlord submits the date that the lease was signed by all parties and sent to the tenant via email, mail, fax (yes, there a box for fax!) or in-person.

So you’ve signed the lease, the property is yours, right? Wrong! Because securing a rental home in Texas takes THREE major steps! Don’t forget Step 3…

You Must Submit Your Deposit To The Landlord

For a private rental in Texas, your deposit is most likely the same amount as one month’s rent. In the lease, you will be given the different ways the landlord will accept the deposit. Many times, it’s Zelle. Other times, it will be a cashier’s check. It will almost NEVER be a personal check. So if you have no idea what a cashier’s check is, talk to your Realtor! And it will never EVER be cash.

Sometimes, the landlord will ask for the deposit before you sign the lease. Yes, they can do that. But again, be aware that if you don’t work with a real estate professional, you may not get that money back.

Once the landlord has accepted your payment of the deposit, you can breathe a sign of relief. You’ve now secured your rental!