Dallas County, TX Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- State Law
- TX HSC Chapter 343
- Enforcement
- Dallas County DUAS
- Notice
- Written, with correction period
- Cost Recovery
- Lien on property
Summary
TX HSC Chapter 343 declares certain property conditions public nuisances: junk vehicles, excessive weeds, rubbish accumulation, stagnant water. Dallas County DUAS enforces nuisance abatement in unincorporated areas with notice and cost recovery.
Sec. 343.011. PUBLIC NUISANCE. (a) This section applies only to the unincorporated area of a county. ... (c) A public nuisance is: ... (5) maintaining a building in a manner that is structurally unsafe or constitutes a hazard to safety, health, or public welfare because of inadequate maintenance, unsanitary conditions, dilapidation, obsolescence, disaster, damage, or abandonment or because it constitutes a fire hazard; (6) maintaining on abandoned and unoccupied property in a neighborhood a swimming pool that is not protected with: (A) a fence that is at least four feet high and that has a latched and locked gate; and (B) a cover over the entire swimming pool that cannot be removed by a child ...
Full Breakdown
Property blight in unincorporated Dallas County is addressed through public nuisance abatement under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 343. Conditions constituting public nuisance include: keeping or storing rubbish (including junk vehicles) visible from a public street or within 300 feet of a residence for 10+ days; allowing weeds over 36 inches; maintaining conditions that attract mosquitoes, rodents, or vermin; and allowing stagnant water. Dallas County DUAS enforces nuisance abatement: property owners receive written notice, and if conditions are not corrected, the county may abate the nuisance and assess costs as a lien against the property.
Violations & Fines
TX HSC Chapter 343: county abatement with cost recovery lien. Civil enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report blight in unincorporated Dallas County?
What counts as property blight in unincorporated Dallas County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dallas County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Dallas County to another location·View the Texas property maintenance overview
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