AUSTIN, Texas — Even as Austin area renters see some relief in monthly prices, thousands of Travis County households are still being pulled into eviction court.
Eviction Lab data shows there were more than 15,600 eviction filings in Travis County in the most recent 12 months. That is 35% above the 2023-24 average and works out to about one case for every 20 renter households. In June alone, there were roughly 1,500 filings, about 60% above the baseline in Travis County.
Abia Bakay, research and policy director at BASTA, an Austin tenant advocacy organization, said the trend should not be happening. “Obviously ridiculous. This should not be happening,” Bakay said.
At the same time, Realtor.com put Austin’s median asking rent at $1,371 in June, down 4.3% from last year.
When asked why eviction filings are still so high despite rents not going up, Bakay pointed to broader affordability pressures. “Because of affordability issues. We are not providing enough affordable housing,” Bakay said.
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Perla Aguirre, BASTA’s community education outreach specialist, said landlords and apartment complexes often move quickly to file. “Landlords or apartment complexes are like really quick to file these cases,” Aguirre said. She added that tenants can get caught up in the process for relatively small issues and then struggle to resolve cases. “Just folks are getting pulled into it for smaller reasons, and they’re not able to get out of it very easily because of those obstacles that landlords or apartment complexes keep on, you know, putting up for them,” Aguirre said.
BASTA said more than a quarter of the judgments requested are for less than $2,000. The organization also said some tenants do not even know a case has been filed.
Before an eviction case is filed, Texas law requires written notice. That notice can be delivered several ways, including by mail, inside the home, or electronically if the lease allows it. Aguirre emphasized that an eviction filing does not mean an immediate lockout. “Landlord cannot immediately force you out of their home once an eviction has been started,” she said.
At eviction court, one tenant, Sandra Hernandez, said she was struck by how many people were there. “I was just in there, and I saw that there were a lot of people,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez said she had already moved out of her apartment because of conditions there, but was still being asked to pay. “I could pay for my apartment, but it was too bad. I have a lot of proof of the poor conditions,” she said. Her case was dismissed because the landlord did not show.
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After court, the judge said the main questions under the law are whether rent was paid and whether the landlord delivered the notice to vacate, not whether the tenant actually received it.
Bakay said the process can keep tenants trapped in ongoing debt. “You’re in this constant loop where you’re continuously owing something,” Bakay said.
The eviction process also changed Jan. 1, when SB 38 took effect. Among other changes, the law limits local courts from requiring mediation, a pretrial conference or another proceeding before trial. BASTA said that can remove an opportunity to reach an agreement before the hearing.
Emily Blair, CEO of the Austin Apartment Association, said responsibility for keeping tenants housed is shared. “So I think the responsibility is shared between the rental housing provider and the resident and also the broader community. So we need to make sure that there’s communication, but that there is also adequate assistance,” Blair said. She added that rental assistance has declined since the pandemic. “We have seen the reality is a lot of those rental assistance programs have shrunk or have gone away post-pandemic,” Blair said.
Blair said the city has added about 86,000 rental units since 2023, helping push rents down. She also said eviction is generally not the first step. “Eviction is typically the last resort,” Blair said.
Blair said that while rent burdens may be easing, other costs are rising. “Household expenses on rent are actually going down right now and have over the last few years, but every other cost has gone up,” she said. She also said many nonpayment cases are resolved before someone is removed.
An eviction filing does not mean someone was actually evicted. Cases can be dismissed or resolved before a tenant is forced out.
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