Property Maintenance in Dallas, TX (2026)
3 verified property maintenance rules for Dallas, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Property Blight
Dallas City Code Chapter 27 (Minimum Property Standards) addresses property blight and nuisance conditions. Sec. 27-11 establishes minimum standards and owner responsibilities for maintaining safe, sanitary, and habitable structures. Article V covers public safety nuisances. Chapter 31, Sec. 31-38 requires property owners to remove graffiti. Code Compliance Services investigates complaints and can issue citations with fines of $50-$500 per day. Vacant structures may be ordered secured or demolished.
Dallas Property Blight & Nuisance Ordinance
Light RestrictionsTexas Health & Safety Code Sec. 343.011 - Public Nuisance
Sec. 343.011. PUBLIC NUISANCE. (a) This section applies only to the unincorporated area of a county.(b) A person may not cause, permit, or allow a public nuisance under this section.(c) A public nuisance is:(1) keeping, storing, or accumulating refuse on premises in a neighborhood unless the refuse is entirely contained in a closed receptacle;(2) keeping, storing, or accumulating rubbish, inclu...
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Dallas City Code Sec. 18-13 makes it an offense for an owner, occupant, or person in control of any occupied or unoccupied lot to let weeds or grass grow past 12 inches, or to leave cut weeds and grass lying on the ground afterward. The director of code enforcement handles routine cases, and the fire marshal enforces the broader fire-hazard duty in Sec. 18-14.
Dallas Vacant Lot Weeds Must Stay Under 12 Inches
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 18-13
(a) A person commits an offense if he is an owner, occupant, or person in control of occupied or unoccupied premises in the city and: (1) permits weeds or grass located on the premises to grow to a height greater than 12 inches; or (2) fails to remove weeds or grass from the premises after they have been cut. (b) It is a defense to prosecution under: (1) Subsection (a)(1) that the weeds and gra...
Snow & Sidewalk Clearing
Dallas requires every property owner, tenant, or occupant to clear snow and ice from the sidewalk fronting their building within set hours under Sec. 43-96: three hours if it falls before 4:00 p.m. on a weekday, or by 10:00 a.m. the next morning if it falls overnight or on a Sunday. If it is frozen too hard to chip away safely, owners must spread sand or ashes instead.
Dallas Snow and Ice Sidewalk Removal Deadlines
Some RestrictionsDallas City Code Sec. 43-96(a)-(b)
SEC. 43-96. REMOVAL OF SNOW AND ICE FROM SIDEWALKS REQUIRED. (a) Every owner, lessee, tenant, occupant or other person having charge of any building or lot abutting upon any public way or public place shall remove the snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of the building or lot. (b) Snow and ice which falls or accumulates before 4:00 p.m. during any day, except Sunday, shall be re...
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County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Dallas city rules.
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