Rental Property Rules in Baytown, TX (2026)
4 verified rental property rules for Baytown, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Baytown has no rent control ordinance. Texas Government Code Section 214.902 preempts all local rent control. Landlords may raise rent by any amount at lease renewal or with proper notice for month-to-month tenancies. No local rent stabilization, rent caps, or rent increase limits exist.
Baytown Rent Control Regulations
Few RestrictionsTex. Local Government Code Sec. 214.902 (Rent Control)
Sec. 214.902. RENT CONTROL. (a) The governing body of a municipality may, by ordinance, establish rent control if:(1) the governing body finds that a housing emergency exists due to a disaster as defined by Section 418.004, Government Code; and(2) the governor approves the ordinance.(b) The governing body shall continue or discontinue rent control in the same manner that the governor con...
Just Cause Eviction
Baytown does not have a just-cause eviction ordinance. All evictions follow Texas Property Code Chapter 24 and Chapter 92. Landlords may terminate month-to-month tenancies with written notice before the next rental period. Fixed-term leases end at expiration with no obligation to renew. Only a Justice Court order can legally remove a tenant.
Baytown Eviction Procedures
Few RestrictionsTex. Property Code Sec. 24.005
Sec. 24.005. NOTICE REQUIRED BEFORE FILING CERTAIN EVICTION SUITS. (a) If the occupant is a tenant under a written lease or oral rental agreement, the landlord must give a tenant who defaults or holds over beyond the end of the rental term or renewal period at least three days' written notice to vacate the premises before the landlord files a forcible detainer suit, unless the parties have cont...
Rental Registration
Baytown requires every multi-family complex of three or more units to register annually with the chief building official by December 31, or within 30 days of a new certificate of occupancy or a change of ownership. Operating unregistered is a Class C misdemeanor.
Baytown Rental Property Registration Rules
Significant RestrictionsBaytown, TX Code of Ordinances § 18-701(a)-(c)
(a)The landlord of a multi-family dwelling complex shall annually register the complex with the chief building official by December 31 of each year.(b)The landlord of a multi-family dwelling complex which is constructed after the effective date of the ordinance from which this division derives shall register the complex within 30 days after the complex receives its certificate of occupancy, and...
Repairs & Habitability
Baytown multi-family landlords must self-inspect every dwelling unit at least once a year against the property-maintenance standards listed in City Code Sec. 18-711(a)(3): electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, smoke detectors, fire walls, occupancy limits, egress, handrails and rubbish/garbage. Maintaining a unit that fails those standards is a Class C misdemeanor under Sec. 18-725(a)(5).
Baytown Rental Property Habitability Standards
Some RestrictionsBaytown, TX Code of Ordinances Sec. 18-711(a)(3)
(3)The minimum building and property maintenance standards established by the property maintenance code and other applicable city codes shall be covered by the inspection, including, but not limited to, the following items:a.Electrical facilities;b.Plumbing facilities;c.Heating facilities;d.Ventilation;e.Smoke detectors;f.Fire walls;g.Occupancy limitations;h.Means of ingress/egress;i.Handrails ...
Looking for Harris County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Baytown city rules.
Rental Property Rules in Harris County →