Texas Freeze Prep for Rental Homes: A DFW Landlord's Winter Checklist
Updated: Oct 8
To winterize a rental property in Texas, do four things before late November: service the heater, insulate exposed pipes and outdoor faucets, shut off and drain the sprinkler system, and give your tenant a written freeze plan. Make sure they know where the main water shut-off is. Vacant homes need extra steps: keep the heat on or drain the lines.
Most of the year, North Texas landlords worry about heat and we know it's still 90's in September at the time of this blog post. But one hard freeze can do more damage to a rental home in a week than a whole summer does. Our team has seen what a split pipe in a Plano attic or a frozen sprinkler line in McKinney can cost.
The good news? Almost all of it is preventable with a little prep in October and November.
This guide walks you through what to do, when to do it, and who is on the hook when something goes wrong.
When does Dallas-Fort Worth usually get its first freeze?
The average first freeze at DFW Airport is November 22, and the average last freeze is March 12, based on National Weather Service normals for 1991–2020 (NWS Fort Worth). That gives you almost four months of freeze risk each year.
Why "average" isn't good enough
Averages hide the outliers. The earliest first freeze on record at DFW came on October 22. So we treat early November as our deadline to have every home ready. If you own in Frisco, Allen, or other northern suburbs, plan for cold snaps to hit a little harder than the airport reading.
Why should Texas landlords take freeze prep seriously?
Because Texas homes aren't built for long freezes. Many pipes run through attics, garages, and outside walls with little insulation.
What Winter Storm Uri taught us
In February 2021, DFW Airport hit −2°F and stayed at or below freezing for 139 hours straight (NWS Fort Worth). Across Texas, insurers logged 510,772 claims and expected to pay about $11.2 billion (Texas Department of Insurance, March 2022).
What one frozen pipe can cost
Nationally, the average homeowners claim for water damage and freezing was $15,400 from 2019 to 2023 (Insurance Information Institute). And that's before you count lost rent while floors dry out and drywall gets replaced.
What's on a Texas rental freeze prep checklist?
Here is the checklist our team runs on the homes we manage. Start in October, and finish by the second week of November.
Task | When | Who does it |
Service the furnace or heat pump | October | Owner / HVAC tech |
Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms | October | Owner / manager |
Insulate exposed pipes in attic, garage, and crawlspace | October–November | Owner / handyman |
Cover outdoor faucets (hose bibs) | Before first freeze | Owner or tenant |
Shut off and drain the sprinkler system and cover the backflow preventer | Before first freeze | Owner / irrigation tech |
Label the main water shut-off and confirm it turns | October | Owner / manager |
Clean gutters and check the roof | November | Owner / roofer |
Send the tenant a written freeze plan | Early November | Owner / manager |
Heat: service it before you need it
A heater that fails on the coldest night is both a safety problem and a pipe problem. Book the fall tune-up in October, before HVAC companies get slammed. Replace the filter, and have the tech check the heat strips or furnace ignition.
Pipes and outdoor faucets
Wrap any pipe you can see in the attic, garage, or under the house. Put an insulated cover on every outdoor faucet. The City of Frisco also tells residents to disconnect garden hoses, open cabinet doors under sinks on outside walls, and let faucets drip slowly during hard freezes (City of Frisco).
Sprinklers and backflow
Irrigation lines and backflow preventers are some of the first things to crack. Turn the system off at the controller, shut the irrigation valve, and drain the lines. Cover the backflow preventer with an insulated bag. Frisco asks residents to turn off automatic sprinklers in winter because they can also ice over streets.
The main water shut-off
This one step saves more money than any other. If a pipe bursts, every minute counts. Make sure the main shut-off valve is easy to find, clearly labeled, and actually turns. If it takes a special "curb key," leave one at the house.
What should you tell your tenants before a freeze?
Your tenant is your first line of defense. A lot of freeze damage starts with a simple "I didn't know."
Send a short freeze plan in writing in early November, and a reminder text 24–48 hours before any hard freeze. Include:
Keep the heat on, day and night, even if you're traveling.
Drip the faucets on outside walls when temps drop into the 20s.
Open cabinet doors under kitchen and bathroom sinks.
Disconnect garden hoses and keep faucet covers on.
Know the shut-off. Here's where the main water valve is and how to close it.
Report problems right away. Here's our emergency number.
Does your lease cover this?
Check what your lease says about who must keep the heat on and who pays for freeze damage. Texas law says a landlord generally doesn't have to repair damage caused by the tenant, their family, or guests, unless it's normal wear and tear (Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052(b)). So if a tenant turns off the heat for a week-long trip and the pipes burst, the lease and the facts matter a lot. Clear lease language, plus the written freeze plan, makes those conversations much easier.
Who pays when a pipe freezes in a Texas rental?
It depends on the cause. Here's the general picture.
The landlord's duty to repair
Under Texas Property Code § 92.052, a landlord must make a diligent effort to repair a condition that materially affects the physical health or safety of an ordinary tenant, once the tenant gives notice and is current on rent. The same section also requires a working device that supplies hot water of at least 120°F. A burst pipe or a broken heater in freezing weather can easily meet that bar.
Some cities add their own rules. In Dallas, city code requires heating that can keep each habitable room at 68°F or higher (Dallas City Code § 27-11). Check your own city's code if you own outside Dallas.
If the home becomes unlivable
If a freeze makes the home "totally or partially unusable" and the tenant didn't cause it, Texas Property Code § 92.054 lets either side end the lease with written notice before repairs are done. The tenant gets a prorated rent refund. If you have insurance, the repair clock doesn't start until you receive the insurance money.
Check your insurance now, not after
Many landlord (dwelling) policies limit freeze coverage if the owner didn't keep heat on or drain the water system, especially in a vacant home. Read that section of your policy this fall, while there's still time to fix gaps.
How do you winterize a vacant rental property in Texas?
Vacant homes are the highest risk. No one is there to notice a drip turning into a flood. During Uri's 139-hour stretch below freezing, many homes lost power, and unheated pipes froze.
If your rental in Richardson, Garland, or anywhere in DFW will sit empty this winter:
Keep the heat on at a steady setting, and keep the utilities in your name.
Or fully winterize: shut off the main, open every faucet, drain the water heater, and flush toilets to clear the lines. Many owners hire a plumber for this.
Add a smart thermostat or water-leak sensor so you get an alert on your phone if the temperature drops or water shows up.
Schedule check-ins after every hard freeze. Walk the home, look under sinks, and check ceilings for stains.
If you're an out-of-state owner, set this up before you need it. Once roads ice over, finding a plumber is hard for everyone.
Quick recap: your DFW winter prep timeline
October: heater tune-up, alarms, pipe insulation, find the water shut-off.
Early November: sprinkler shut-down, faucet covers, tenant freeze plan, review insurance.
Before every hard freeze: reminder text to tenants, check on vacant homes.
After every hard freeze: quick walk-through or tenant check-in.
A few hours of prep now is a lot cheaper than a $15,400 water claim. If you'd rather hand this off, our team handles freeze prep for every home we manage. See what professional management costs in our DFW property management cost breakdown. And if you want the summer side of the story, read our guide to Texas landlord AC requirements.
Frequently asked questions
When should I winterize my rental property in Texas?
Start in October and finish by the second week of November. The average first freeze at DFW Airport is November 22, but early cold snaps can come sooner.
Should tenants drip faucets during a Texas freeze?
Yes, on faucets along outside walls during hard freezes. Moving water is harder to freeze. Put it in your written freeze plan so tenants know when and how.
Who pays for frozen pipes in a Texas rental?
It depends on the cause. Landlords generally must repair conditions that affect health or safety. But under Texas Property Code § 92.052(b), landlords usually aren't required to repair damage caused by the tenant or their guests, unless it's normal wear and tear.
Do Texas landlords have to provide heat?
Texas state law doesn't set a specific indoor temperature, but a lack of heat in freezing weather can affect health and safety. Some cities, like Dallas, require heat that keeps each habitable room at 68°F or higher.
How do I protect a vacant rental during a freeze?
Keep the heat on at a steady setting, or fully drain the water system. Add a smart thermostat or leak sensor, and check the home after every hard freeze.
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Questions? Call us at (469) 324-9605 or email info@darlingpropertymanagement.com
This article is educational information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, talk with a Texas real estate attorney.
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