Burleson, TX Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

The inspection requirement sits in § 14-578 of the Burleson Code of Ordinances, part of the short-term rental registration article adopted by Ordinance No. 5092-05-2023 on May 1, 2023. It is a pre-issuance inspection: before the short-term rental permit is issued, the owner or operator must allow, within ten days of receipt of notice from the city, an on-site inspection of the premises by the director or the director's designee. The director is the head of the department the city manager designates to administer the article.

The stated purpose of the inspection is to confirm compliance with minimum health and safety requirements for use and occupancy. That ties back to § 14-571, which says the article exists so that minimum health and safety standards are maintained in short-term rental units to protect visitors from unsafe or unsanitary conditions. If the inspection finds one or more violations of applicable city codes and ordinances, the city gives written notice of the violation and sets a reinspection date. The violation must be corrected before the permit is issued.

What inspectors check is set by neighboring sections. Section 14-580 requires working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors with alarms in accordance with adopted codes, at least one working type A fire extinguisher, and a dimensioned floor plan posted in a conspicuous place showing bedrooms, other living spaces and emergency evacuation routes. The owner or operator is responsible for obtaining annual independent inspections of the fire extinguishers in compliance with the city's current fire code, and the application under § 14-576 includes a statement that the owner will do so.

This is the only rental inspection program the Burleson code prints in the staged chapters. The separate apartment article, §§ 14-550 through 14-555, is a crime prevention program for properties with ten or more units. It requires owners to register with the police official at no fee, and managers to complete an eight-hour crime free multi-housing class. It does not set a building inspection.