Garland, Texas residential lease guide: GP&L, a $65 rental permit, one utility bill

A Garland lease starts with a question most Dallas-area landlords never ask: who supplies the electricity? For about 85% of the city the answer is the city itself. “Garland’s municipally-owned electric utility, Garland Power & Light (GP&L), is the sole provider of electricity service for approximately 85% of Garland. With more than 77,000 customers, GP&L is the fourth largest municipal utility in Texas” (Garland Power & Light). The remaining addresses are in retail-choice territory, and the city publishes a lookup to tell them apart (Identify my electric provider). The second Garland feature is a permit: “The City of Garland requires all single family rental properties to be permitted by Code Compliance,” at $65 a year, with a full inspection at each change of tenancy unless the property is certified (Single Family / Short Term Rental Program). Around those sit a single city utility bill, Dallas County’s paired justice courts and a city-run housing agency. Each point is sourced below as read in September 2026.

Electricity: GP&L for most, retail choice for the rest

Under Utilities Code §40.051 a municipally owned utility decides whether to open its area to retail competition, and GP&L has not; a tenant at a GP&L address opens a City of Garland utility account and has no provider to choose. For the roughly 15% of addresses outside GP&L’s area, the city’s lookup identifies the provider and the ordinary ERCOT rule applies — the tenant picks a retail provider under §39.102. The lease should say which case applies to the address; a clause telling a GP&L tenant to “select a retail electric provider” sends them to a market they cannot enter.

One bill: water, sewer, trash and — for most — power

Garland bills its utilities together: the city’s Understanding your utility bill page walks through the combined statement, and Water Utilities is a city department. A Fitch rating report the city publishes puts the fiscal-2025 residential bill at $114.69 a month for 7,500 gallons of water and 6,000 gallons of sewer, with combined water and sewer rates expected to rise about 5% a year through 2029 (Fitch report, May 2025). For the lease this means the utilities clause can name one account holder for everything the city supplies; in a master-metered building, Water Code §13.5031 requires the rental agreement to describe the water allocation method and state the average unit bill.

The single-family rental permit and the access clause

Garland’s program requires a permit for every single-family rental: “a yearly fee of $65 must accompany the completed application, unless the property is certified and granted the permit extension,” and “a full inspection will be conducted upon each change of tenancy, unless the property is certified” (program page, program PDF). The lease therefore needs an access clause for the city’s change-of-tenancy inspection, and the turnover checklist needs the inspection request. Short-term rentals are a separate permit at $500 a year under Chapter 26, Article VI of the code (Article VI); a long-term lease should prohibit stays under 30 days unless the owner holds it. See the Garland registration guide.

Eviction venue: Dallas County’s paired courts

Dallas County assigns two justice courts to each precinct and lets the filer “choose either court” (Dallas County JP Courts); the suit goes to a court of the precinct where the property is located under Property Code §24.0041, and §24.005 now requires a notice to pay rent or vacate for a tenant who was not previously late.

WHAT TO WRITE IN A GARLAND LEASE
Clause	What changes for a Garland address	Source
Electricity	GP&L address: tenant opens a City of Garland utility account, no provider choice; other address: tenant picks a retail provider	GP&L · Provider lookup · Utilities Code §40.051
Water, sewer, trash	One City of Garland account holder named; allocation method if master-metered	Water Utilities · Water Code §13.5031
Permit and access	Single-family rental permit ($65 a year); city inspection at each change of tenancy admitted	Single Family Rental Program
Subletting	No stays under 30 days unless the owner holds the $500 STR permit	Chapter 26, Art. VI
Notices and venue	Dallas County JP precinct (either court); pay-or-vacate notice for a first late payment	Dallas County JP · Property Code ch. 24

What changes in Garland

About 85% of addresses are served only by Garland Power & Light — no electricity provider choice; the city’s lookup identifies the rest.
Every single-family rental needs a $65 annual city permit with a full inspection at each change of tenancy.
Electricity, water, sewer and trash arrive on one City of Garland bill.
Short-term rentals need a separate $500 annual permit.
Dallas County’s paired justice courts hear evictions.

Frequently asked questions

Can my tenant choose their electricity provider in Garland?

Usually not. Garland Power & Light is the sole provider for about 85% of the city (GP&L) and has not opened its area to retail choice under Utilities Code §40.051. The city’s lookup tells you whether a given address is in GP&L’s area.

Do I need a permit to rent out a house in Garland?

Yes. Code Compliance permits every single-family rental, at $65 a year, and inspects at each change of tenancy unless the property is certified (City of Garland).

Where is an eviction filed in Garland?

In a Dallas County justice court of the precinct where the property is located; the county assigns two courts per precinct and the filer may choose either (Dallas County JP Courts).

How much is a Garland short-term rental permit?

$500 a year, with a floor plan and proof of insurance, under Chapter 26, Article VI (program page).

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.