What happened to Texas SB 673?

SB 673 would have required Texas cities to allow ADUs. It passed the Senate in April 2025, was placed on the House general state calendar on May 26, 2025, and did not receive a final House vote before the session ended.

Does Texas SB 15 allow ADUs?

No. SB 15, effective September 1, 2025, requires large cities to allow smaller single-family lots in new developments. It does not address ADUs.

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Does Texas have a statewide ADU law?

Updated October 2026

No. As of October 2026, Texas has no statewide ADU law, so each city sets its own rules. A 2025 bill, SB 673, would have required cities to allow ADUs; it passed the Senate but stalled on the House calendar in May 2025. Other 2025 housing laws, such as SB 15 and SB 840, do not address ADUs.

What was SB 673?

Senate Bill 673, filed in the 89th Legislature in 2025 by Sen. Bryan Hughes, would have required cities to allow an accessory dwelling unit on residential lots, overriding local zoning. Reporting at the time said it would also have kept subdivisions from blocking ADUs. The Senate passed it in April 2025. In the House it was placed on the general state calendar on May 26, 2025, and the session ended without a vote.

Which 2025 housing laws did pass?

SB 15, effective September 1, 2025, requires large cities to allow single-family homes on smaller lots in new developments. It covers lot size, not ADUs.
SB 840, effective September 1, 2025, allows housing by right on certain commercial land. It does not cover ADUs either.

So who decides whether I can build an ADU?

Your city, your deed restrictions and, where you have one, your HOA. In the Houston area that produces very different answers a few miles apart:

Houston: no zoning; second units up to 1,500 sq ft under Chapter 42, subject to deed restrictions.
Bellaire: one accessory residence with a kitchen may be allowed, and renting it is prohibited.
Pearland: a conditional use permit and a council vote.
Sugar Land: limited accessory dwellings under the development code, plus HOA review.

Could this change soon?

It depends on future sessions. The Texas Legislature meets in regular session in odd-numbered years, so the next regular session after 2025 is in 2027. Until a statewide law passes, local rules govern. We date every rule on this site so you know how current it is.

Sources, as of October 2026: Texas Legislature Online and LegiScan bill records for SB 673 (89th Legislature) as summarized by Vanplex; FOX 4 News, "Texas Senate bill would allow secondary homes on every lot" (April 9, 2025); Foley & Lardner, "Texas Enacts Critical Real Estate Reforms: Senate Bills 15, 17, 840" (July 2025); City of Houston Planning & Development.