Dallas rental hail, freeze and flood plan for landlords

Dallas is not a hurricane city, and its risk plan should not read like one. The events that reach a Dallas rental are hail and severe thunderstorms in spring, freezes in winter and localized flooding in the Trinity River basin, where Dallas Water Utilities runs the city’s stormwater and flood control services. The state’s flood disclosure in Property Code §92.0135 applies here exactly as it does on the coast: a signed notice, at or before signing, stating whether the landlord is aware the dwelling is in a 100-year floodplain and whether it flooded in the past five years. This plan starts from that disclosure and adds the two risks the disclosure does not cover.

Flood: the disclosure and the map

Answer the two §92.0135 questions from evidence, not impression. The FEMA Flood Map Service Center gives the flood zone by address — the map the statutory notice itself tells the tenant about — and the TREC form carries the required wording. Keep a dated screenshot of the map and, if you bought the property recently, the seller’s disclosure about flooding. Dallas Water Utilities’ flood control role means the city, not a separate district, is the local contact for drainage complaints; route them through 311.

Hail and wind: the deductible question

Spring hail is the loss a Dallas landlord is most likely to file. Two questions for a licensed agent before the season: whether the policy carries a separate wind-and-hail deductible, often expressed as a percentage of the dwelling value rather than a flat sum, and whether loss-of-rents coverage pays while a unit is uninhabitable after a roof failure. After a storm, photograph the roof and exterior the same week and keep the tenant’s written report of any leak — that report starts the repair clock under §92.056, and a landlord who can show a same-week contractor engagement is in a strong position.

Freeze: pipes, the shutoff and the water account

Freeze events are short and destructive to exposed plumbing. Before the first forecast freeze: insulate exposed lines and hose bibs, confirm the heating system works, and show the tenant the water shutoff and the breaker panel. A burst on the tenant’s side of the meter runs through the Dallas Water Utilities account named in the lease, so the utilities clause should say whose name is on it. During an outage the tenant calls Oncor, the delivery utility, not the retail provider; write that on the sheet.

The one-page emergency sheet

Oncor outage reporting; Dallas Water Utilities emergency line and 311.
The landlord’s emergency number and the repair route named in the lease.
Water shutoff and breaker panel locations; gas shutoff if applicable.
The city’s emergency alert channels and the instruction to follow official evacuation or shelter guidance.
A reminder that interruption of utilities by the landlord is restricted by Property Code §92.008.

After the event

Document before repairing: dated photographs, the tenant’s written report, the insurer’s claim number. If the dwelling is unusable, §92.054 on casualty loss governs the parties’ options, including termination; read it before agreeing to anything informally. Keep every contractor invoice with the unit address on it — it is both the repair record and the tax record.

DALLAS RISK SOURCES AND WHAT THE LEASE SAYS
Risk	Where to check	What the lease or file contains
100-year floodplain	FEMA map	Signed §92.0135 disclosure based on the map and records
Drainage and localized flooding	Dallas Water Utilities · 311	Dated map screenshot; drainage complaints routed through 311
Hail and wind	Insurance policy (licensed agent)	Deductible and loss-of-rents noted in the file; roof photographed each spring
Power interruption	Oncor	Outage number on the sheet; §92.008 respected
Freeze damage	Dallas Water Utilities	Account holder named; shutoff location on the sheet

What changes in Dallas

The dominant insured loss is hail, not flood — the deductible structure matters more than the flood zone for most units.
Dallas Water Utilities, a city department, runs stormwater and flood control; drainage issues go through 311.
Outage calls go to Oncor whatever the retail provider on the bill.
The §92.0135 flood disclosure applies in full even though most Dallas addresses are far from the coast.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a flood disclosure for a Dallas rental?

Yes. Property Code §92.0135 applies to most residential leases of 30 days or more anywhere in Texas: a signed written notice about 100-year floodplain awareness and flooding in the past five years.

Who handles flooding and drainage complaints in Dallas?

Dallas Water Utilities provides the city’s stormwater and flood control services (DWU); complaints are filed through 311.

What should I ask my insurer before hail season in Dallas?

Whether the policy has a separate wind-and-hail deductible (often a percentage of dwelling value) and what loss-of-rents coverage pays while the unit is uninhabitable. Ask a licensed agent; this page cannot read your policy.

Who does a Dallas tenant call in a power outage?

Oncor Electric Delivery, which maintains the lines for every retail provider in Dallas (Oncor).

Sources

Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.

General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.