Rental Inspections in Houston, TX (2026)
2 verified rental inspections rules for Houston, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Inspection Programs
Every Houston apartment building with three or more units must register with the city building official and falls under the Multi-Family Rental Building Inspection Program, which enforces minimum habitability standards and charges an inspection fee.
Houston Apartment Registration and Habitability Inspection
Significant RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 10-154(c)-(d) (MFRB registration); see §§ 10-157 (Inspection Program), 10-159 (penalty)
An owner of an MFRB shall register the MFRB by completing and filing an MFRB Registration Form with the building official. An owner of an MFRB shall post a hard copy of the current, completed MFRB Registration Form in or on the MFRB.
Tenant Complaint Process
Houston requires multi-family rental buildings to post a bilingual notice telling tenants to report hazardous conditions to the manager or owner, or call the city's 311 Service Helpline, which can trigger code enforcement.
Houston Tenant Hazard Complaints: Notice and 311
Some RestrictionsHouston Code of Ordinances § 10-155(2)(b)
A "NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS" legibly typed or printed in a font 28 points or larger, in both English and Spanish, the substance of which Notice is as follows: "IF ANY CONDITION of this building CREATES A HAZARD to human safety or health, REPORT THE CONDITION to the building's manager or owner. You also may report the condition to the City of Houston by calling the City's Service Helpline at 311."
Looking for Harris County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Houston city rules.
Rental Inspections in Harris County →