Hunt County Landlord-Tenant Law

Texas landlord guide — county ordinances, courthouse info & local rules

Hunt County Rental Market Overview

Hunt County sits at the northeast corner of the DFW Metroplex, straddling the transition zone between the urban sprawl of Dallas and the rural East Texas countryside. Greenville, the county seat, is approximately 50 miles northeast of Dallas via I-30 — close enough to serve as a genuine DFW commuter community, but distinct enough in character and economy to function as a regional center in its own right. The county’s employment base is anchored by L3Harris Technologies at Majors Airport — a major aerospace and defense electronics manufacturer that has operated in Greenville for decades — and Hunt Regional Medical Center, the county’s healthcare anchor. Commerce, located in the county’s eastern portion, is home to Texas A&M University–Commerce, which drives consistent student and faculty rental demand in Precinct 2 territory. Greenville’s downtown is experiencing modest revitalization anchored by the restored Texan Theatre, and the city’s convenient I-30 access makes it an affordable DFW alternative for workers commuting westward.

For landlords, Greenville offers a genuinely renter-heavy market — roughly 48% of Greenville’s households are renter-occupied, one of the higher rates for a city its size in Texas. Average one-bedroom rents run approximately $995–$1,115/month. Hunt County operates five JP courts across four precincts, with Precinct 1 having two Places (both at the same 2801 Stuart Street address in Greenville). The Precinct 4 court in Quinlan has notably early hours compared to most Texas JP courts.

Hunt County Ordinances & Local Rules

Last verified: March 2026 · Source: huntcounty.net

Texas State Law Framework

⚡ Quick Overview

3

Days Notice (Nonpayment)

3

Days Notice (Violation)

25-45

Avg Total Days

$54-149

Filing Fee (Approx)

💰 Nonpayment of Rent

Notice Type 3-Day Notice to Vacate

Notice Period 3 days

Tenant Can Cure? No - notice to vacate, not to pay. Tenant can pay during period but landlord not required to accept.

Days to Hearing 10-21 days

Days to Writ 5 days

Total Estimated Timeline 25-45 days

Total Estimated Cost $150-$500

⚠️ Watch Out

Texas notice is to vacate, not to pay. Landlord is not required to accept rent during notice period. Lease can shorten notice to 1 day or extend it. If tenant paid rent on time the prior month, landlord must give "Notice to Pay Rent or Vacate" instead. SB 38 (2025) streamlines squatter removal process.

📜 Eviction Laws Main 📊 Compare This State

Underground Landlord

📝 Texas Eviction Process (Overview)

1. Serve the required notice based on the eviction reason (nonpayment or lease violation).
2. Wait for the notice period to expire. If tenant cures the issue (where allowed), the process stops.
3. File an eviction case with the Justice of the Peace Court (Forcible Detainer). Pay the filing fee (~$54-149).
4. Tenant is served with a summons and has the opportunity to respond.
5. Attend the court hearing and present your case.
6. If you prevail, obtain a writ of possession from the court.
7. Law enforcement executes the writ and removes the tenant if necessary.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This page provides general information about Texas eviction laws and does not constitute legal advice. Eviction procedures can vary by county and may change over time. Local jurisdictions may have additional requirements or tenant protections. For specific legal guidance, consult a qualified Texas attorney or local legal aid organization.

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Underground Landlord

🔍 Reduce Your Risk Before Signing a Lease: Texas landlords who screen tenants carefully before signing a lease significantly reduce their risk of ending up in eviction court. Understanding tenant screening in Texas — including background checks, credit history, income verification, and rental references — is one of the most cost-effective steps you can take to protect your rental property. Before you ever need Texas's eviction process, proper tenant screening can help you identify red flags early and avoid problem tenancies altogether.

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Hunt County Texas Landlord-Tenant Law: Greenville, Commerce, and Five Courts Across Four Precincts

Hunt County occupies an interesting position in the DFW ecosystem — close enough to Dallas (about 50 miles via I-30) to attract commuter residents, but with its own distinct economic identity built around defense electronics, healthcare, agriculture, and higher education. Greenville, the county seat, is home to the long-established L3Harris Technologies facility at Majors Airport, one of the most significant aerospace and defense electronics manufacturing operations in North Texas. Hunt Regional Medical Center provides healthcare employment. And to the east, Commerce hosts Texas A&M University–Commerce, generating an academic economy that drives the county’s second-largest rental market. For landlords navigating this mix, the court system’s structure — five courts, four precincts, one with dramatically different operating hours — is the key procedural fact to understand.

Five Courts, Four Precincts — Know Your Assignment

Hunt County operates five JP courts spread across four precincts, with Precinct 1 serving Greenville’s population through two separate courts — Place 1 and Place 2 — both located at 2801 Stuart Street in Greenville. JP Precinct 1 Place 1, under Judge Wayne Money, can be reached at (903) 453-6922. JP Precinct 1 Place 2, under Judge Sheila Linden, is at (903) 453-6930. Both operate Monday through Friday during standard courthouse hours. The standard Texas rule applies: file in the precinct (and where applicable, the assigned Place) where your property is located. Wrong-precinct filings result in mandatory dismissal and require refiling.

JP Precinct 2, under Judge Kerry L. Crews, is based at 100 Kings Plaza, Suite F, in Commerce (phone 903-886-6726), serving the eastern county including the Texas A&M University–Commerce area. Hours are Monday through Friday 8 AM to 4:30 PM, closed for lunch noon to 1 PM. JP Precinct 3, with Judge Christie Roundtree at 108 E. Main Street in Wolfe City (phone 903-496-7974), covers the north county. JP Precinct 4, under Judge Clayton Rankin at 112 E. Main Street in Quinlan (phone 903-356-2904), serves the southwest county including the Lake Tawakoni area.

Precinct 4: The 7 AM Court

JP Precinct 4 in Quinlan has one of the most distinctive operating schedules of any JP court in North Texas: Monday through Thursday, 7:00 AM to 5:45 PM. That’s an unusually early opening and an unusually late closing for a rural Texas JP court, offering landlords with properties in the southwest county corridor a wide daily window to file. However, the court does not appear to have standard Friday hours — call (903) 356-2904 before any Friday visit. Despite the extended weekday hours, Precinct 4 remains subject to all standard Texas filing rules: file in the precinct of the property, use current forms, and confirm hearing dates with the clerk after filing.

Greenville: Defense, Healthcare, and DFW Commuters

Greenville’s rental market is unusual for a city of its size: roughly 48% of households are renter-occupied, nearly even with homeowners, giving landlords a broad and consistent tenant pool to draw from. That high renter ratio reflects a working population that includes a significant number of transient or mobile workers — defense contractors, healthcare staff on rotating assignments, and DFW commuters who have not yet bought locally.

L3Harris Technologies, which has operated at Majors Airport in Greenville for decades, is the county’s anchor private employer and produces a tenant segment of engineers, program managers, and technical workers with above-average incomes and stable employment. These are among the most desirable tenant profiles in any market — well-compensated, long-tenure, and professional. Hunt Regional Medical Center provides healthcare employment that generates nurses, technicians, and support staff who need housing near the facility. Greenville’s I-30 position attracts DFW commuters who want more space and lower rent than the Metroplex offers while maintaining westward access to Dallas employment centers.

Commerce: The University Market

Texas A&M University–Commerce dominates the rental landscape in the eastern county. As a regional state university drawing students from across Northeast Texas, the TAMUC campus creates consistent demand for housing near Commerce in what is otherwise a rural agricultural community. The university tenant market follows predictable annual rhythms: high demand in August when the fall semester begins, sustained demand through the spring semester, and a sharp occupancy drop in May and June when students depart. Landlords with properties in Commerce should structure their lease terms to expire in May or June and actively re-lease before August, rather than accepting month-to-month arrangements that expose them to summer vacancy.

For undergraduate student applicants, a parental or adult co-signer is essential — student income from part-time employment and scholarships is typically insufficient to independently qualify at standard income-to-rent ratios. Faculty and staff from TAMUC are significantly more stable tenants, with predictable academic-year schedules and university-provided income verification. Evictions for Commerce-area properties are filed at JP Precinct 2 (100 Kings Plaza, Suite F, Commerce). Contact Judge Crews’ court at (903) 886-6726 before filing to confirm current procedures.

Security Deposits, Notices, and the January 2026 Law Changes

The standard Texas eviction and deposit framework applies throughout Hunt County. The three-day written Notice to Vacate is required for nonpayment and lease violations. Month-to-month tenancies require one full month’s notice from one rent period to the next. Security deposits must be returned with an itemized accounting within 30 days of the tenant surrendering the property. The bad-faith penalty — $100 plus three times the wrongfully withheld amount plus attorney’s fees — applies at full force. At Greenville rent levels around $1,050–$1,100/month, a typical deposit generates bad-faith exposure of approximately $3,250–$3,400 before legal fees. Texas eviction law was significantly updated by SB 38 on January 1, 2026. Confirm current notice language and filing forms with the appropriate Hunt County JP court before initiating any eviction after that date.

This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current eviction procedures with the appropriate Hunt County JP court before filing. Evictions filed in the wrong precinct will be dismissed. Precinct 4 (Quinlan) is open Monday–Thursday only, 7 AM–5:45 PM; call before Friday visits. Major changes to Texas eviction law took effect January 1, 2026. Consult a licensed Texas attorney for specific guidance. Last updated: March 2026.