Texas Application Fees: No Cap, But Here's How to Avoid Paying Twice

If you've applied to more than one apartment in Dallas or Fort Worth, you already know the fees add up. Here's the headline fact most renters don't expect: Texas sets no state cap on rental application fees at all. New York limits application fees to $20. California caps them around $65, adjusted for inflation. Texas — nothing. A landlord can legally charge $50, $100, or more per application, and there is no statewide dollar ceiling stopping them. This guide explains what the law does and doesn't protect, the important difference between an "application fee" and an "application deposit," and how a reusable verified profile can save you from paying that fee over and over.

This is educational information, not legal advice. Every rule below is tied to a specific Texas Property Code section, linked so you can verify it yourself.

No cap on the application fee — the single biggest difference from NYC and LA

Texas Property Code §92.351(1-a) defines an "application fee" as a nonrefundable fee paid by a rental applicant to a landlord for the purpose of having the landlord consider and evaluate the applicant. Nothing in Chapter 92, Subchapter J caps how large that fee can be. Compare that to New York City, where application fees are statutorily capped at $20, or California, where Civil Code §1950.6 ties the cap to CPI-adjusted inflation from a $30 base. In Dallas and Fort Worth, the amount is essentially whatever the landlord decides to charge, and it is nonrefundable by definition — you don't get it back even if you're rejected.

That makes application fees a real, recurring cost for Dallas-Fort Worth renters. Apply to five buildings in a competitive week and you could be out $250–$500 with nothing to show for four of them. Nothing here is illegal — it's simply an area where Texas gives landlords wide latitude, and it's exactly the kind of cost a reusable verified profile is built to reduce (more on that below).

"Application fee" vs. "application deposit" — know the difference

Texas law actually recognizes two separate concepts under §92.351, and mixing them up costs renters money:

• Application fee (§92.351(1-a)): Nonrefundable. Pays for the landlord's cost of evaluating your application. No state cap.
• Application deposit (§92.351(1)): A separate sum, paid to hold your place in line for a unit or secure your intent to lease. This one is refundable if you aren't approved or the unit isn't rented to you, subject to the lease's terms.

If a leasing office collects money labeled a "deposit" alongside your application, ask specifically whether it is an application deposit under §92.351(1) (refundable) or bundled into the nonrefundable fee. Get the answer in writing. If a landlord fails, in bad faith, to refund an application deposit you're actually owed, §92.354 makes them liable for $100 plus three times the amount wrongfully withheld, plus your attorney's fees — the same style of penalty that backs up security deposit law in Texas.

The 7-day deemed-rejected rule

One protection that does exist and is worth knowing: under §92.352, if a landlord doesn't give you notice of acceptance within 7 days after you submit a completed application, you are deemed rejected. Practically, this means a landlord can't sit on your application (and your fee) indefinitely while stringing you along — after a week of silence on a completed application, treat it as a no and apply elsewhere.

What isn't confirmed: city-specific fee ordinances

We can't confirm whether Dallas or Fort Worth has passed any city-specific ordinance capping or regulating application fees beyond what state law provides, so we won't claim one exists. If you've heard of a local ordinance, verify it directly with the relevant city before relying on it — this guide covers only the statewide Property Code rules above.

Where a verified renter profile actually helps

Since Texas doesn't cap the fee itself, the practical fix for Dallas-Fort Worth renters is to reduce how many times you pay it. That's the core idea behind CertRent: build one free, verified renter profile — identity, income and employment verification, rental history — once, and present it to multiple landlords instead of starting from scratch (and paying a fresh nonrefundable fee) at every building. It doesn't change Texas law, but it changes how many times you're exposed to an uncapped fee while you search.

Some landlords may still require their own separate screening report and fee regardless of what you bring — that decision is up to them, since nothing in Texas law requires a landlord to accept an outside profile. But arriving with a complete, verified profile makes you a stronger, faster applicant and can reduce how many buildings you need to formally apply — and pay — to reach before you're approved.

Frequently asked questions

Is there any cap on application fees in Dallas or Fort Worth?

No state cap exists under Texas Property Code §92.351(1-a), and we have not confirmed any city-specific ordinance in Dallas or Fort Worth that limits it. Fees are set entirely by the landlord and are nonrefundable.

What's the difference between an application fee and an application deposit?

The application fee (§92.351(1-a)) is nonrefundable and pays for the landlord's cost of evaluating you. The application deposit (§92.351(1)) is a separate, refundable sum that secures your place for a unit. Ask which one you're being charged, and get it in writing.

How long can a landlord wait before responding to my application?

If they don't send acceptance notice within 7 days of a completed application, §92.352 deems you rejected. You're free to move on and apply elsewhere at that point.

My landlord won't refund my application deposit after rejecting me. What can I do?

If it was truly labeled and treated as an application deposit under §92.351(1), and the landlord withholds it in bad faith, §92.354 makes them liable for $100 plus three times the amount withheld plus your attorney's fees. Put your refund request in writing first and cite the statute.

Want to know who actually owns the building before you pay an application fee? See our guide on who owns my building in Dallas-Fort Worth. For more on your rights as a Dallas-Fort Worth renter, see our for renters hub and resources page.