Reviewed and approved by Samuel Corso, licensed Texas insurance agent.

Published August 14, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026

Denied home insurance in Texas? Since January 2026, TDI says they have to tell you why

If a company has turned you down for home insurance in Texas, this guide covers what the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says about getting the reason in writing, how a declined application differs from a cancellation or a non-renewal, and where TDI points people who keep getting turned down.

The short version. If you are declined for home insurance in Texas, TDI says in Was your home insurance canceled or not renewed? that for a policy declined, canceled, or not renewed after Jan. 1, 2026, your company must give you a written statement telling you why.

What changed after January 1, 2026

For home insurance decisions made after January 1, 2026, TDI says a Texas insurance company must tell you in writing why it declined, canceled, or did not renew your policy. TDI's news release Know why your auto or home policy was declined, canceled, not renewed says this covers auto and home insurance and applies to decisions companies make after January 1, 2026.

TDI's canceled-or-not-renewed page puts it this way:

"If you were declined a policy or your policy was canceled or not renewed after Jan. 1, 2026, your company must give you a written statement telling you why they declined, canceled, or nonrenewed your policy."

On that page, the sentence just before the quoted one says your company must give you the reason for a nonrenewal if you ask. The quoted sentence covers declined, canceled, and nonrenewed policies.

Companies' summary reports will go to TDI. The news release, dated February 24, 2026, says that later that year companies will start giving TDI reports summarizing their reasons for declining, canceling, or not renewing policies, and adds: "TDI will combine the information and post it online."

TDI's canceled-or-not-renewed page says a company must give you a written statement if you were declined a policy after Jan. 1, 2026.

Declined, canceled, non-renewed: three different things

A declined application, a cancellation, and a non-renewal are three separate events in Texas home insurance. TDI's canceled-or-not-renewed page defines two of them: a nonrenewal means your company is not continuing your policy after its end date, and a cancellation means your company will stop your policy before its end date.

The notice TDI describes differs between those two. On nonrenewal, the page says: "It must give you 60 days’ notice of a nonrenewal if you bought or renewed your policy in 2024. If you bought or renewed your policy in 2023 or earlier, it must give you 30 days’ notice." On cancellation, it says: "A company must give you 10 days’ notice before it cancels your policy." The page does not give a nonrenewal notice figure for policies bought or renewed after 2024.

This guide uses "declined" for the third case, where you applied and the company decided not to sell you the policy. TDI's page does not define that term or list a notice period for it. Its written-statement sentence does name all three events.

Knowing which of the three happened to you helps you describe it accurately the next time you apply.

What the written reason is for

The written reason for a declined Texas home insurance application can show you whether there is something you can fix. TDI's February 2026 news release says the written explanation gives homeowners and drivers knowledge to fix issues if they can.

Some reasons are about the house or your record. The release's home example is about a non-renewal: it says that with prior home damage you didn't get repaired, a company might not renew your policy, and that if you know this, you can make repairs to keep your home insurable. The canceled-or-not-renewed page lists reasons a company might not renew a policy, including a house in worse condition than when you bought the policy, three or more nonweather-related claims in three years, and a house that is vacant for 60 days or more. On the first of those, the page says a company might say you have six months to make repairs or it won't renew your policy.

Other reasons are about the company. The same list on TDI's page includes this one: "Your company decided to limit the coverage it sells in your area." A reason like that describes the company's decision about an area, so repairs to your house may not change it.

Both the release's example and TDI's list are about non-renewals, so treat them as illustrations of the kinds of reasons a company can give. The reason on your own statement for a declined application may be different.

If the standard market keeps saying no

Texas has state-designated insurers of last resort for people who are having a hard time finding a company that will sell them a home or windstorm policy, according to TDI's Other ways to get auto, home, and wind insurance in Texas. Each one has its own entry conditions, and it helps to know them before you need them.

• TDI's advice after a nonrenewal or cancellation. For people whose policy was nonrenewed or canceled, TDI's canceled-or-not-renewed page advises starting to shop around and having a new policy in place before the current policy expires. It also points to sample rates on TDI's HelpInsure.com site. That advice is written for a nonrenewal or cancellation, and the page gives no separate advice for a declined application.
• The Texas FAIR Plan. In its advice for a nonrenewed or canceled policy, the canceled-or-not-renewed page calls the Texas FAIR Plan Association the state's homeowner insurance provider of last resort. On eligibility, TDI's last-resort page says: "To get a policy, you must have been turned down by two insurance companies. You won’t qualify if a company has offered you a policy or renewal." The same page says you can apply if you own a house, townhouse, condo, or manufactured home, and that you contact an agent to find a FAIR Plan policy.
• Surplus lines, with a caution. If you need more insurance than a FAIR Plan policy provides, your agent might suggest surplus lines insurance, according to the last-resort page, which describes it as a special type of insurance that covers unique risks, like hard-to-insure houses. It then adds: "Surplus lines insurance has fewer consumer protections than typical home insurance." If an agent suggests this route, ask which protections differ before you decide.
• Coastal wind and hail coverage. The last-resort page says the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) sells wind and hail coverage for coastal residents who have been turned down by an insurance company and that you can apply through your insurance agent. The page says that, depending on where you live, you might need flood insurance before you can get a TWIA policy, and that you also might need a home inspection by an engineer or windstorm inspector. On timing, the page says: "TWIA won’t sell you a policy if there’s a hurricane on the way."
• If the written statement never arrives. For decisions companies make after January 1, 2026, TDI's news release says you can file a complaint with TDI if you don't get a written explanation from your insurance company. It gives the TDI Help Line as 800-252-3439.

Key facts

• TDI's canceled-or-not-renewed page says that for a policy declined, canceled, or not renewed after Jan. 1, 2026, your company must give you a written statement of the reason.
• TDI's news release says the written-reason requirement covers auto and home insurance decisions companies make after January 1, 2026, and that you can file a complaint with TDI if you don't get that written explanation.
• That release, dated February 24, 2026, says companies will start giving TDI reports summarizing their reasons later that year, and that TDI will then combine that information and post it online.
• TDI's canceled or not renewed page gives 60 days' notice of a nonrenewal for a policy bought or renewed in 2024, 30 days' notice for a policy bought or renewed in 2023 or earlier, and 10 days' notice before a cancellation. It gives no nonrenewal figure for policies bought or renewed after 2024, and these periods are for nonrenewal and cancellation, not declined applications.
• TDI's last-resort page says that to get a Texas FAIR Plan policy you must have been turned down by two insurance companies, and that you won't qualify if a company has offered you a policy or renewal.
• TDI's last-resort page says that if you need more insurance than a FAIR Plan policy provides, your agent might suggest surplus lines insurance, and that it comes with fewer consumer protections than typical home insurance.
• The same last-resort page says TWIA sells wind and hail coverage for coastal residents who have been turned down by an insurance company, that depending on where you live you might need flood insurance first, that you also might need a home inspection by an engineer or windstorm inspector, and that TWIA will not sell you a policy if a hurricane is on the way.

Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Was your home insurance canceled or not renewed?, Other ways to get auto, home, and wind insurance in Texas, and Know why your auto or home policy was declined, canceled, not renewed. This page is general information, not legal advice. For questions about your legal rights, check your policy or contact the Texas Department of Insurance.

Take the next step

If you have been declined for home insurance in Texas, keep the written reason and read it before you apply again. If it names something about your house, you know what to look at.

For background, what to do about a non-renewal covers the closely related case, how to choose home insurance in Texas covers sizing coverage, and independent agency vs. direct explains how comparing several carriers at once works.

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