Odessa, TX Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcement body
- Dangerous building official / board of survey
- Trigger standard
- Unfit for human habitation, hazard to safety
- Owner remedy deadline
- Set by board of survey order
- Non-compliance cost recovery
- City lien on the property
Summary
Odessa can order the vacation, repair, securing, or demolition of any building, rental or owner-occupied, that is dilapidated, substandard, or unfit for human habitation and a hazard to public health or safety.
Buildings within the terms of subsection (d) of this section shall be considered "dangerous buildings" and are hereby declared a nuisance. ... The city may require the vacation, securing, repair, removal or demolition of a building that is: (1) Dilapidated, substandard or unfit for human habitation and a hazard to public health, safety and welfare;
Full Breakdown
The city's dangerous buildings article, invoked under its home-rule nuisance-abatement authority and Texas Local Government Code § 214.001 et seq., declares any building unfit for human habitation a public nuisance. A dangerous building official investigates and the board of survey, after notice and hearing, can order an owner to vacate, secure, repair, remove, or demolish the structure within a set deadline. If the owner does not comply, the city may do the work itself and bill the cost back.
Violations & Fines
Owners who ignore a board of survey order face city-performed repair, removal, or demolition at their expense; unpaid costs on the property become a recorded lien against it, subordinate only to tax liens.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to rental housing in Odessa?
What can the city do if an owner won't fix a substandard rental?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Odessa
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Odessa to another location·View the Texas rental property rules overview
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