Some Houston landlords are demanding money from their tenants, even though they've lost everything and the house is "unusable." How are they getting away with this despicable request? Well, that's where Texas law comes into play...HOUSTON, TEXAS — Unfortunately for these displaced tenants, according to Texas property code -- even if the property is partially uninhabitable — tenants still have to pay up in the event of a natural disaster. The only thing Houston tenants can fight for is possibly a reduction in rent from the landlord. However, that's determined by the county assessor's evaluation of damage ensued. However, Texas property code states that — if the property is fully uninhabitable — the tenant or landlord can opt to terminate the residential contract. But, it has to be in writing. wHEN THE PAIN HITS HOME...The Guardian caught up with Houston resident Rocio Fuentes. According to her, she's in this particular situation as well. Our landlords say we have to pay rent and late fees and every day it is going up. We are paying rent for somewhere we can’t live in. They said ‘you aren’t the only ones in this situation’, but what are we supposed to do? We don’t have any money. We don’t have anything. The source reports that more than 180,000 homes have been badly damaged by Hurricane Harvey. Unfortunately, only a fraction have flood insurance. That's horribly discouraging. Nevertheless, we'd love to know your thoughts about this housing crisis in Houston, Texas. If you have any comments, feel free to share them in the section below.
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