DeSoto, TX Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)

DeSoto has implemented a rental property registration program to ensure rental dwellings meet safety and habitability standards. Owners of single-family homes, duplexes, and multi-family units offered for rent must register with the city, typically providing owner and local contact information (including a property manager with a DeSoto-area address if the owner lives outside the region), a list of rental units, and paying an annual registration fee. Registered rental properties are subject to periodic life-safety inspections covering smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms where gas appliances are present, electrical safety, plumbing, heating, window egress from bedrooms, and general property maintenance. Violations identified at inspection must be corrected within a specified time. Failure to register or correct violations can result in citations, daily administrative fines, and denial of a Certificate of Occupancy. Short-term rentals have separate registration requirements where permitted. Federal Fair Housing, lead-based paint disclosure for pre-1978 units, and Texas Property Code tenant protections apply on top of the local program.