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Carrollton, TX Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Governing code
Chapter 96, City Code § 96.06
Minimum indoor heat
70°F at 3 feet above floor
Max A/C indoor temp
81°F for tenant-occupied units
Bathroom fixtures required
Water closet, lavatory, tub or shower
Enforcing official
Director of Code Operations (DCO)
No-notice violations
12 listed hazards, e.g. no hot water

Summary

Carrollton's Single- and Multi-Family Housing Code sets binding habitability standards for every rental: minimum 70 degrees Fahrenheit heat, air conditioning capped at 81 degrees indoors, working screens, and hot and cold running water. The Director of Code Operations enforces the standards and can placard a unit substandard.

Heating.Dwelling units, guest rooms and congregate residences shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining a room temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 degrees Celsius) at a point three feet (914 mm) above the floor in all habitable rooms... Refrigerated air equipment shall be provided in multi-family or single-family rented or leased dwellings that are occupied by a party other than the owner and shall be maintained in an operable condition and must be capable of maintaining the inside of the dwelling unit at a comfortable temperature zone, not to exceed a maximum temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit.

Full Breakdown

06, governs rental habitability in Carrollton and applies to every single-family and multi-family dwelling unit that is leased or rented to another person. Heating facilities must maintain 70 degrees Fahrenheit at a point three feet above the floor in all habitable rooms, and unvented fuel-burning heaters are banned outright. Where the unit is occupied by someone other than the owner, the landlord must provide refrigerated air conditioning capable of holding the inside temperature at no more than 81 degrees Fahrenheit; the only defense is an outdoor temperature above 101 degrees combined with an indoor reading no more than 20 degrees below outside.

Every dwelling unit needs a bathroom with a water closet, lavatory and bathtub or shower, plus a kitchen with a sink connected to an approved water supply and sanitary sewer. All openable exterior windows on a rented dwelling must carry an approved, insect-proof screen unless a window air conditioner already seals the opening. Bedrooms cannot house more occupants than the floor-area table allows: a 70-square-foot bedroom tops out at one occupant, 120 square feet at two, up to 320 square feet for six. If the Director of Code Operations finds floor covering in a rented unit degraded enough that normal cleaning will not bring mold spore or bacterial levels down to safe levels, the landlord must replace it with covering that meets the building code.

07, the owner stays liable for chapter violations even when a manager or occupant is contractually responsible for the premises, and any lease clause trying to shift that liability does not excuse the owner. 08 lets the city place a hold on or terminate utility service to a unit it certifies in writing as substandard or unfit for human habitation, though the owner can appeal within five days of that notice.

Violations & Fines

Under § 96.04, it is unlawful for an owner, operator, property manager or occupant to violate any Chapter 96 provision, and no culpable mental state is required to establish the offense. For rental-property conditions such as lack of hot or cold running water, inoperable or missing smoke detectors, hazardous electrical wiring, or infestation of insects, vermin or rodents, the Director of Code Operations can prosecute without first serving a notice of violation. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature must a Carrollton landlord keep a rental at?
City Code § 96.06(D)(1) requires heating facilities capable of maintaining 70 degrees Fahrenheit, measured three feet above the floor, in all habitable rooms. Unvented fuel-burning heaters are not permitted, and all heating devices must be an approved type installed per the mechanical code.
Does Carrollton require air conditioning in rentals?
Yes. Section 96.06(D)(5) requires refrigerated air equipment in any multi-family or single-family unit occupied by someone other than the owner, kept operable and capable of holding the inside temperature at no more than 81 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can a Carrollton landlord skip fixing a hazard because a tenant caused it?
The owner remains liable under § 96.07 regardless of any agreement shifting responsibility to a manager or occupant, though § 96.07(B)(2) also makes an occupant who causes a premises to become substandard separately guilty of an offense.
Can the city cut off utilities to a substandard rental?
Yes. Section 96.08 lets the city initiate termination of, or a hold on, utility service to a unit it certifies in writing as substandard or unfit for human habitation, after written notice; the owner can appeal within five days of that notice.

Sources & Official References

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