Rule 509.6.Judgment: Amount; Form and Content; Issuance and Service; Failure to Comply

Last verified June 28, 2026

In one sentenceRule 509.6 sets the relief in a repair-and-remedy judgment — an order to repair the condition, a rent reduction, a civil penalty of one month's rent plus $500, actual damages, and costs and fees — and details what the judgment must specify and how it is served and enforced.

Full Text of Rule 509.6

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

(a) Amount. Judgment may be rendered against the landlord for failure to repair or remedy a condition at the residential rental property if the total judgment does not exceed $20,000, excluding interest and court costs but including attorney’s fees. Any party who prevails in a lawsuit brought under these rules may recover the party’s court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees as allowed by law.

(b) Form and Content.

(1) The judgment must comply with Rule 505.1 and must include the names of the parties to the proceeding and the street address of the residential rental property where the condition is to be repaired or remedied.

(2) In the judgment, the judge may:

(A) order the landlord to take reasonable action to repair or remedy the condition;

(B) order a reduction in the tenant’s rent, from the date of the first repair notice, in proportion to the reduced rental value resulting from the condition until the condition is repaired or remedied;

(D) award the tenant’s actual damages; and

(E) award court costs and attorney’s fees, excluding any attorney’s fees for a claim for damages relating to a personal injury.

(3) If the judge orders the landlord to repair or remedy a condition, the judgment must include in reasonable detail the actions the landlord must take to repair or remedy the condition and the date when the repair or remedy must be completed.

(4) If the judge orders a reduction in the tenant’s rent, the judgment must state:

(A) the amount of the rent the tenant must pay, if any;

(B) the frequency with which the tenant must pay the rent;

(D) the effective date of the order reducing rent;

(E) that the order reducing rent will terminate on the date the condition is repaired or remedied; and

(F) that on the day the condition is repaired or remedied, the landlord must give the tenant written notice, served in accordance with Rule 501.4, that the condition justifying the reduction of rent has been repaired or remedied and the rent will revert to the rent amount specified in the lease.

(c) Issuance and Service. The judge must issue the judgment. The judgment may be served on the landlord in open court or by any means provided in Rule 501.4 at an address listed in the citation, the address listed on any answer, or such other address the landlord furnishes to the court in writing. Unless the judge serves the landlord in open court or by other means provided in Rule 501.4, the sheriff, constable, or other authorized person who serves the landlord must promptly file a return of service in the justice court.

(d) Failure to Comply. If the landlord fails to comply with an order to repair or remedy a condition or reduce the tenant’s rent, the failure is grounds for citing the landlord for contempt of court under Section 21.002 of the Texas Government Code.

End

Plain-English Summary

Rule 509.6 lays out the remedy. Judgment may be rendered against the landlord for failing to repair or remedy a condition. Complying with Rule 505.1, the judge may order the landlord to fix the condition, reduce the tenant's rent from the date of the first repair notice in proportion to the lost rental value, award a civil penalty of one month's rent plus $500, award the tenant's actual damages, and award costs and attorney's fees (excluding fees for a personal-injury damages claim).

An order to repair must describe the required actions in reasonable detail, and a rent-reduction order must state the new rent, its frequency, the condition justifying it, its start date, and that it ends when the condition is fixed. The judge issues and serves the judgment, and may enforce it if the landlord fails to comply.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can a tenant win in a Texas repair and remedy case?

An order to repair the condition, a rent reduction, a civil penalty of one month's rent plus $500, actual damages, and court costs and attorney's fees (Rule 509.6).

What happens if a landlord ignores a repair and remedy judgment?

The landlord can be cited for contempt of court under Section 21.002 of the Government Code (Rule 509.6(d)).

Is there a dollar cap on a Texas repair and remedy judgment?

Yes. Rule 509.6(a) caps the judgment at $20,000, excluding interest and court costs but including attorney's fees.

Source & verification. Rule text and the official Notes and Comments are reproduced verbatim from the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Tex. R. Civ. P. 509.6), 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 judgmentrent reductioncivil penalty one month rentTRCP 509.6