San Marcos, TX Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- 2021 International Property Maintenance Code
- Adopting section
- Sec. 14.002, Chapter 14
- Enforcement
- Building official / code official
- Rental tie-in
- Sec. 34.809(d)(1) code-compliance duty
- Registration trigger
- 5 violations in 12 months, Sec. 34.821(b)
Summary
San Marcos enforces rental habitability through the citywide 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, adopted by ordinance and applied to every structure, rented or owner-occupied, as the minimum condition standard.
The following codes are adopted to govern construction and construction-related activities: ... (2) International Property Maintenance Code 2021, including Appendix A. ... Otherwise, all structures shall be designed, built, and maintained in accordance with these adopted codes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 41).
Full Breakdown
The city adopted the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, including Appendix A, as its baseline maintenance standard for existing structures (Sec. 14.002). Every building in San Marcos, whether rented or owner-occupied, "shall be designed, built, and maintained in accordance with these adopted codes." The rental-registration article reinforces this: short-term rentals must "conform to all applicable city-adopted codes, regulations, and ordinances" (Sec. 34.809(d)(1)), and long-term rental registration exists in part to "identify and notify owners regarding minimum building standards" and "property maintenance codes" (Sec. 34.820). The building official/code official enforces the IPMC through Chapter 14's property-maintenance and unsafe-building provisions.
Violations & Fines
Failure to maintain a rental to IPMC standards is a property-maintenance code violation subject to unsafe-building abatement; for long-term rentals, five code violations or two uncorrected notices in 12 months forces mandatory registration (Sec. 34.821(b)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Marcos have a separate habitability code just for rentals?
What happens if a landlord ignores property-maintenance violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Marcos
Texas rules heatmap·Compare San Marcos to another location·View the Texas rental property rules overview
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