(Texas Scorecard) – In the wake of a string of high-profile property rights violations which have occurred across the state in recent years, Texas legislators have responded by strengthening eviction laws.
Among the top issues that property owners in Texas wished to see addressed during the 89th Legislative Session was the introduction of anti-squatting measures.
Eviction bans and rent freezes implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic caused landlords and property owners in Texas to suffer financially. These losses were compounded by a lack of legal recourse against squatters, leading to financial devastation in some cases.
Families looking to move into their new homes, such as the Johnson and Sherman households, were delayed by squatters back in 2023. Houston’s eviction courts took months to respond.
Similarly, realtor Shanequa Garrett sold a property only to find out it was occupied by a family who was squatting. The removal process took six months.
In Lubbock, Code Administration Director Stuart Walker connected five house fires to squatters’ activity, resulting in extensive property damage. Texas Scorecard reached out to the Lubbock Fire Marshal’s Office for an update but did not receive a response before publication.
Terri Boyette’s house was occupied by a squatter in June of 2023. She was still unable to move into her home when she testified in support of Senate Bill 38 in May of 2024. The squatter caused more than $150,000 in damage by living rent-free, destroying property, and selling the owner’s personal belongings.
These stories represent a fraction of squatting incidents throughout the state. In March 2025, Jim Grace from the National Rent Home Council testified that 475 homes were occupied as a result of trespassing in the Dallas/Fort Worth area alone.
Senate Bill 38 protects property owners against bad-faith tenants and serial squatters. It expedites the adjudication of eviction cases, even allowing for summary judgments to be filed without trial. This bill circumvents inefficiencies existing in eviction court, providing faster relief to Texas property owners.
Now that SB 38 has passed both chambers of the legislature, landlords and property owners will enjoy stronger protections and greater agency to engage bad-faith tenants. Under this law, protracted civil disputes like Boyette and Garrett’s are expected to come to an end.