Tex. Util. Code § 184.051 (2026)

Sec. 184.051. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Apartment house" means one or more buildings containing two or more dwelling units rented primarily for nontransient use with rent paid at intervals of one week or longer.

(2) "Apartment house owner" means the legal titleholder of an apartment house or an individual, firm, or corporation purporting to be the landlord of tenants in the apartment house.

(3) "Central system utilities" means electricity and water consumed by and wastewater services related to a central air conditioning system, central heating system, central hot water system, or central chilled water system in an apartment house. The term does not include utilities directly consumed in a dwelling unit.

(4) "Customer" means an individual, firm, or corporation in whose name a master meter is connected by a utility.

(5) "Dwelling unit" means one or more rooms that are suitable for occupancy as a residence and that contain kitchen and bathroom facilities.

(6) "Nonsubmetered master metered utility service" means an electric utility service that is master metered for an apartment house but is not submetered.

(7) "Tenant" means a person who is entitled to occupy a dwelling unit in an apartment house to the exclusion of others and who is obligated to pay for the occupancy under a written or oral rental agreement.

(8) "Utility" means a public, private, or member-owned utility that provides electricity, water, or wastewater service to an apartment house served by a master meter.

Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 166, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.