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

Article V of Chapter 7, Substandard and Vacant Building Abatement, sets the city's baseline habitability rule: Section 7-61 adopts the International Building Code and International Property Maintenance Code standards 'as the minimum standards for the continued use and occupancy of all buildings within the city regardless of the date of their construction.' Section 7-61.2 spells out what makes a building 'dilapidated, substandard, or unfit for human habitation and a hazard to the public health, safety, and welfare,' including rotted or decayed roofs, ceilings, floors, sills or foundations; missing windows; buildings in danger of collapse; fire hazards from accumulated rubbish; dampness likely to foster disease; or any condition meeting the 'unsafe, unfit for human occupancy' standard of Section 108.1 of the International Property Maintenance Code.

Once the chief building official identifies a substandard building, Section 7-61.4 requires written notice and a public hearing before the municipal court judge, who under Section 7-61.5 decides by a preponderance of the evidence whether the building is substandard. Section 7-61.6 lets the judge order the owner to secure, repair, remove or demolish the building, generally within 30 days, with up to 90 days allowed if the owner shows the work cannot reasonably finish sooner, and longer only with a detailed plan, bond or letter of credit for properties worth over $100,000.00.

If the owner ignores the order, Section 7-61.7 authorizes the city to do the work itself and place a lien on the property for its costs plus a $100.00 administrative charge, at 10 percent interest, superior to every lien except tax liens. The article was last amended January 22, 2024 by Ordinance No. 1296-2024.