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(a)This section is intended to establish standards
relating to permissible forms of advertising by a person licensed
as a real estate broker or salesperson and functioning as a residential
rental locator ("locator"). For the purposes of this section, the
term "residential rental locator" has the meaning provided by §1101.002(6)
of the Act. For the purposes of this section, the term "advertisement"
has the same meaning provided by §535.154(a) of this chapter.
(b)If a locator advertises more than one apartment
unit in the same advertisement and lists amenities or features generally
without providing the features or amenities available at a specific
rent for a specific unit, the advertisement must include a statement
having a meaning substantially equivalent to one of the following.
(1)"Not all units have the advertised features or
amenities."
(2)"The rent is $_____ or more, depending on the features
of the unit."
(3)"The rent quoted is the minimum for a unit which
may not have all the features advertised."
(c)Advertisements in a printed publication comply
with subsection (b) of this section if the publication in which an
advertisement appears contains this notice at the beginning of the
section in which the advertisement appears: Notice: Residential rental
locators are required to be licensed by the Texas Real Estate Commission
(P.O. Box 12188, Austin, Texas 78711-2188, (512) 936-3000 or (512)
936-3005). Locators may advertise apartment units in general terms,
and all units may not have the same features. The amount of rent quoted
in an advertisement may be the starting rent for a basic unit or for
a unit which does not have all advertised features.
(d)An advertisement by a locator of an apartment unit
by general terms is misleading unless at the time the advertisement
is placed at least one unit meeting the description of the unit contained
in the advertisement is available through the locator at the lowest
rent stated in the advertisement within either a time stated in the
advertisement or not later than the 30th day after the date the advertisement
is submitted for publication if no time is stated. Before offering
a unit for rent or lease, the locator must also obtain the consent
of the unit's owner or of the owner's authorized agent.
(e)Advertising by locators must comply with §1101.652(b)(23)
of the Act and §535.154 of this chapter.
(f)Failure to comply with this section is grounds
for the Commission to reprimand a license holder, to suspend or revoke
a license, to take other disciplinary action, and to impose an administrative
penalty in accordance with §1101.701 of the Act.
The agency certifies that legal counsel has reviewed
the adoption and found it to be a valid
exercise of the agency's legal
authority.
Filed
with the Office of the Secretary of State on November 24, 2014
TRD-201405672 Kerri Lewis
General Counsel
Texas Real Estate Commission
Effective date: January 1, 2015
Proposal publication date: September 5, 2014
For further information, please call: (512) 936-3092
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