Rule 509.2.Contents of Petition; Copies; Forms and Amendments

Last verified June 28, 2026

In one sentenceRule 509.2 sets what a repair-and-remedy petition must contain — the rental address, the landlord's details, the repair notices given, the condition, and the relief sought — capped at $20,000, and treats a petition substantially in the Supreme Court's form as sufficient.

Full Text of Rule 509.2

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c)

(a) Contents of Petition. The petition must be in writing and must include the following:

(1) the street address of the residential rental property;

(2) a statement indicating whether the tenant has received in writing the name and business street address of the landlord and landlord’s management company;

(3) to the extent known and applicable, the name, business street address, and telephone number of the landlord and the landlord’s management company, on-premises manager, and rent collector serving the residential rental property;

(4) for all notices the tenant gave to the landlord requesting that the condition be repaired or remedied:

(A) the date of the notice;

(B) the name of the person to whom the notice was given or the place where the notice was given;

(D) whether the notice was in writing or oral;

(E) whether any written notice was given by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by registered mail; and

(F) whether the rent was current or had been timely tendered at the time notice was given;

(5) a description of the property condition materially affecting the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant that the tenant seeks to have repaired or remedied;

(6) a statement of the relief requested by the tenant, including an order to repair or remedy a condition, a reduction in rent, actual damages, civil penalties, attorney’s fees, and court costs;

(7) if the petition includes a request to reduce the rent:

(A) the amount of rent paid by the tenant, the amount of rent paid by the government, if known, the rental period, and when the rent is due; and

(B) the amount of the requested rent reduction and the date it should begin;

(8) a statement that the total relief requested does not exceed $20,000, excluding interest and court costs but including attorney’s fees; and

(9) the tenant’s name, address, and telephone number.

(b) Copies. The tenant must provide the court with copies of the petition and any attachments to the petition for service on the landlord.

(c) Forms and Amendments. A petition substantially in the form promulgated by the Supreme Court is sufficient. A suit may not be dismissed for a defect in the petition unless the tenant is given an opportunity to correct the defect and does not promptly correct it.

End

Plain-English Summary

Rule 509.2 details the tenant's petition. It must give the rental property's street address, what the tenant knows of the landlord and any manager, and the details of each repair notice the tenant gave — its date, who received it, whether the lease and notice were written, and whether rent was current. It must describe the condition affecting the tenant's health or safety, state the relief requested (an order to repair, a rent reduction, actual damages, civil penalty, costs, and fees), and confirm the total relief does not exceed $20,000 excluding interest and costs.

The tenant supplies copies for service, and a petition substantially in the Supreme Court's promulgated form is sufficient — a suit may not be dismissed for a defect in the petition unless the tenant is given a chance to correct it and does not promptly do so.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can a tenant recover in a Texas repair and remedy case?

The total relief requested may not exceed $20,000, excluding interest and court costs but including attorney's fees (Rule 509.2).

Can a Texas repair and remedy suit be dismissed for a defect in the petition?

Not right away. Rule 509.2(c) requires the tenant be given a chance to correct the defect before the suit can be dismissed for it.

What must the petition say about the tenant's notices to the landlord?

For each notice: the date given, who received it or where it was left, whether the lease requires written notice, whether the notice was written or oral, whether it went by certified or registered mail, and whether rent was current (Rule 509.2(a)(4)).

Source & verification. Rule text and the official Notes and Comments are reproduced verbatim from the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Tex. R. Civ. P. 509.2), published by the Texas Judicial Branch (txcourts.gov). Promulgated by the Supreme Court of Texas. The plain-English summary is original and draws on official sources. Last verified June 28, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: repair and remedy petitiontenant repair petitiontwenty thousand limitTRCP 509.2