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

Chapter 6, Sec. 6-27 amends the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code as adopted in Waco. " A companion clause, subsection (24), sets a 65°F floor for occupiable work spaces during occupied hours, with exceptions for spaces that need special processing temperatures or where occupants are doing vigorous physical work. 7, Cooling Facilities Required, obligating an owner to provide and maintain, in operating condition, refrigerated air equipment capable of holding a room at least 15 degrees cooler than the outside temperature but never above 85°F in any habitable room, measured three feet above the floor near the room's center and two feet in from each exterior wall.

It is a defense to a cooling-code prosecution if at least one habitable room reaches 85°F when the outside temperature tops 110°F, and an owner is never required to cool a room below 70°F. Sec. 6-27(1) separately requires a permit before construction, alteration, or repair work, while Sec. 6-27(9) lets the code official order demolition of a structure so dilapidated that repair is unreasonable, and Sec. 6-27(3) lets the code official declare a unit unfit for human occupancy for lacking heat or cooling facilities altogether.