Arlington does not prohibit landlord refusal of Section 8 housing-choice vouchers or other lawful sources of income. Texas Local Government Code §250.007 expressly preempts local source-of-income protections, leaving voucher acceptance entirely at landlord discretion citywide.
Texas SB 267 (2015) added Local Government Code §250.007 prohibiting cities and counties from requiring landlords to accept federal housing-choice vouchers or other government rental subsidies. Arlington therefore cannot adopt source-of-income protections covering voucher recipients, veterans assistance, or other subsidy programs. Landlords retain full discretion to reject voucher applicants on that basis alone. Federal Fair Housing Act protections still bar discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability, but income source is not a federally protected class. Tarrant County Housing Assistance Office reports significant voucher turn-down rates citywide.
There is no penalty for refusing housing-choice vouchers in Arlington. Landlords who decline a voucher must still avoid discrimination on federally protected classes such as race, familial status, or disability.
Arlington, TX
Section 8 housing-choice vouchers are administered in Arlington through the Arlington Housing Authority, but landlord participation is voluntary. Texas state...
Arlington, TX
Arlington does not have a just cause eviction ordinance. Texas law allows landlords to terminate tenancies without stating a reason with proper notice. The s...
See how other cities in Tarrant County handle source-of-income discrimination.
See how Arlington's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
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