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

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Minimum standard: IBC and IPMC adopted citywide, Sec. 7-61
Hearing body: Municipal court judge decides substandard status
Standard repair window: 30 days, extendable to 90+ with a plan
Max penalty: $2,000 fine, Sec. 7-61.24
City abatement lien: Cost plus $100 fee, 10% interest
Last amended: January 22, 2024, Ord. No. 1296-2024

Summary

Pearland requires every building, including rental housing, to meet minimum livability standards under the city's Substandard and Vacant Building Abatement ordinance. A structure with rotted framing, missing windows, unsanitary dampness, fire hazards or conditions unfit for human occupancy under the International Property Maintenance Code can be declared substandard, placarded, and ordered vacated, repaired or demolished by the municipal court.

(a)Any building with roof, ceiling, floors, sills, or foundations, or any combination thereof, rotted or decayed and falling apart, windows out, uninhabitable, and untenantable, due to obsolescence and deterioration caused by neglect or vandalism or fire damage or old age or the elements.(b)Any building in danger of falling and injuring the person or property of another. ... (e)Any building that is considered unsafe, unfit for human occupancy, or dangerous as described in Section 108.1 of the International Property Maintenance Code as it may be amended from time to time.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).

Full Breakdown

1 of the International Property Maintenance Code. 5 decides by a preponderance of the evidence whether the building is substandard. 00. 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.

Violations & Fines

Violating any provision of Article V, including defacing a placard or occupying a building the chief building official has placarded as substandard, is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000.00 under Section 7-61.24, reachable if the person acted intentionally, knowingly or recklessly. Beyond the fine, the municipal court can order the building vacated, secured, repaired, removed or demolished, and unpaid city abatement costs become a lien against the property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a landlord be forced to fix a substandard rental in Pearland?

Yes. Section 7-61.1 lets the chief building official require the vacation, repair, removal or demolition of any building, rental or otherwise, that is dilapidated, substandard or unfit for human habitation. After notice and a hearing, the municipal court judge can order the owner to secure or repair the property within a set deadline, generally 30 days unless the owner shows more time is genuinely needed.

What conditions count as making a building unfit for habitation?

Section 7-61.2 lists rotted or falling-apart roofs, ceilings, floors or foundations; missing windows; buildings in danger of collapse; fire hazards from accumulated rubbish and vegetation; and dampness likely to foster disease. It also folds in any condition meeting the 'unsafe, unfit for human occupancy' standard of Section 108.1 of the International Property Maintenance Code as adopted by the city.

What happens if an owner ignores the court's repair order?

Under Section 7-61.7, the municipal court judge holds a show-cause hearing and can then authorize the city to vacate, secure, remove or demolish the building at its own expense. The city recovers those costs, plus a $100.00 administrative charge, through a lien against the property that carries 10 percent interest and outranks every lien except a tax lien.

Sources & Official References

[1]Pearland, TX Code of Ordinances, Chapter 7 - Building, Article V

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