Arlington, TX Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Arlington, TX, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Summary
Arlington has NO local rent control ordinance. Tex. Local Gov't Code § 214.902 preempts Texas cities from enacting rent control absent a declared disaster-related housing emergency and governor approval. The Arlington Code of Ordinances contains no rent stabilization chapter.
Sec. 214.902. RENT CONTROL. (a) The governing body of a municipality may, by ordinance, establish rent control if: (1) the governing body finds that a housing emergency exists due to a disaster as defined by Section 418.004, Government Code; and (2) the governor approves the ordinance. (b) The governing body shall continue or discontinue rent control in the same manner that the governor continues or discontinues a state of disaster under Section 418.014, Government Code.
Full Breakdown
Tex. Local Gov't Code § 214.902 bars a Texas city from enacting rent control unless (1) the governing body finds a housing emergency due to a disaster under Tex. Gov't Code § 418.004 and (2) the governor approves the ordinance. Arlington has made no such finding. Month-to-month landlords may raise rent on one month's notice under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001; fixed-term rent is locked until renewal. Tex. Prop. Code Ch. 92 still applies: security deposits returned within 30 days (§ 92.103), repair-and-deduct (§§ 92.056–92.0563), and § 92.331 prohibition on retaliatory rent increases within six months of a protected tenant act.
Violations & Fines
No city overage exists. A retaliatory rent increase, issued within six months of a protected tenant act such as a repair request or code complaint, triggers a civil penalty of one month's rent plus $500 plus actual damages, court costs, and attorney fees under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.333.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What protections do Arlington tenants have without rent control?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington
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Rent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle rent control.