Texas has implemented Senate Bill 38, which expedites the eviction process for squatters without criminalizing the act.

Houston state Sen. Paul Bettencourt said Senate Bill 38 is necessary to combat an epidemic of squatting. Tenants’ rights advocates say legitimate tenants behind on their rent could be targeted.

Texas lawmakers want to prevent squatters from violating tenant rights and landlords' properties. The Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 38, and it's now in the House. Meanwhile, the House introduced its ...

Mark Melton, founder of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, after which the Houston organization is modeled, said the legislation originally proposed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Rep.

AUSTIN, Texas — As we flip the calendar to January and 2026, several new laws will take effect across Texas. They have to do with everything from insurance, immigration, AI, taxes and more. One ...

Austin is a city of majority renters, and Texas will be making some changes to the way it handles evictions starting in the new year. Senate Bill 38 will take effect for all eviction filings starting ...

Senate Bill 38, which takes effect on New Year’s Day, updates tenant-landlord relations in Texas by streamlining the eviction process and adding a new tenant protection — the ability to cure ...

A new Texas law aimed at speeding up the removal of squatters took effect Thursday, changing how eviction cases move through ...

Three weeks after Molly Cook was sworn in as a freshman state senator in February, the Houston Democrat was approached by a group of lobbyists with the Texas Apartment Association. “They asked me if I ...

The fight against squatters in Texas could soon affect every renter in the state. Lawmakers are considering SB 38, the so-called squatters bill, which would allow landlords to evict someone without a ...

A new Texas law in 2026 aims to speed up the eviction process with shorter timelines, quicker eviction notices, and ...

Odette Edwards (center) speaks outside the Bryan Song Apartments in January 2019 in Dallas. All of the residents received an eviction notice to be out of their apartments by Feb. 10. Ryan Michalesko / ...