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HB 1247TEXASSession 89RState Billdead

Did Not Advance

Texas HB 1247 bars landlords from collecting delinquent rent after illegal utility shutoffs

Original title: Relating to the interruption of utility service by a residential landlord.

Last action · March 10, 2025: Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic DevelopmentSponsor: Erin Zwiener

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

Texas House Bill 1247 prohibits residential landlords who unlawfully interrupt utility service from collecting from tenants, and removes the deduction of delinquent rent from statutory damage recovery. The measure applies to violations occurring on or after September 1, 2025.

Why it matters

The measure alters financial liabilities in landlord-tenant disputes by preventing landlords from offsetting tenant damages with unpaid rent when utility shutoffs occur, shifting potential financial recovery amounts for affected renters.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

residential tenants

Tenants retain full damage recovery amounts without deductions for delinquent rent and are protected from back-rent collection following unlawful utility interruptions.

Directly affected

residential landlords

Landlords lose the ability to collect delinquent rent or deduct it from damages owed to tenants after violating utility interruption rules.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a landlord collect back rent if they illegally shut off a tenant's utilities?

No. Under HB 1247, a landlord who violates the utility interruption rules is prohibited from collecting from the tenant.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

3 actions

Mar 10, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
Mar 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
Read first time
Nov 12, 2024HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

Property Code

OrganizationProperty Code“Texas statute being amended by the bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

capitol.texas.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
Controversy45
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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