Houston, TX Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Houston Code § 10-155
- Applies to
- MFRBs with 3+ units
- Notice
- Bilingual, posted near mailboxes
- Penalty
- $500-$2,000 fine per day
- Enforced by
- Building official
Summary
City ordinance sets minimum habitability standards for multi-family rental buildings of three or more units, requiring Fire Code and life-safety compliance, building-numbering rules, and a posted bilingual tenant notice.
In addition to the habitability standards established by Article V and by divisions 4 and 5 of Article IX of Chapter 10 of this Code: An owner of an MFRB violates this division if the MFRB does not comply with: a. All applicable provisions of the Fire Code; b. Sections D102 through D108 of Appendix D (Life-Safety Requirements for Existing Buildings) of the Existing Building Code; ... f. Sections 92.153 through 92.162 of the Texas Property Code (which provisions pertain to security devices).
Full Breakdown
Houston Code § 10-155 makes an MFRB owner in violation of the Habitability Code if the building fails to meet the Fire Code, Appendix D life-safety requirements for existing buildings, the building-numbering rules of §§ 10-211 through 10-218, chapter 41 street-address rules, chapter 43 swimming-pool rules, or the Texas Property Code's security-device standards. Owners must also keep a valid certificate of occupancy or life safety compliance certificate posted, plus a bilingual 'NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS' in 28-point type near tenant mailboxes directing hazard reports to the manager or the city's 311 Service Helpline. The building official enforces the article citywide.
Violations & Fines
Any MFRB owner who violates the habitability standards is guilty of a misdemeanor, fined $500 to $2,000; each violation, and each day it continues, is a separate offense (Sec. 10-159).
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Houston apartment building non-habitable?
Must landlords post a notice under this code?
What is the penalty for violating the habitability standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Houston
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Harris County handle repairs & habitability.