{"data":{"id":"us-tx/tex.-local-government-code-214.219","jurisdiction":"us-tx","citation":"Tex. Local Government Code § 214.219","heading":"MINIMUM HABITABILITY STANDARDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY RENTAL BUILDINGS IN CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES.","body":"(a) This section applies only to a municipality with a population of 1.7 million or more. This section does not affect the authority of a municipality to which this section does not apply to enact or enforce laws relating to multi-family rental buildings.\n(b) In this section:\n(1) \"Multi-family rental building\" means a building that has three or more single-family residential units.\n(2) \"Unit\" means one or more rooms rented for use as a permanent residence under a single lease to one or more tenants.\n(c) A municipality shall adopt an ordinance to establish minimum habitability standards for multi-family rental buildings, including requiring maintenance of proper operating conditions.\n(d) A municipality may establish other standards as necessary to reduce material risks to the physical health or safety of tenants of multi-family rental buildings.\n(e) A municipality shall establish a program for the inspection of multi-family rental buildings to determine if the buildings meet the minimum required habitability standards. The program shall include inspections under the direction of:\n(1) the municipality's building official, as defined by the International Building Code or by a local amendment to the code under Section 214.216;\n(2) the chief executive of the municipality's fire department; and\n(3) the municipality's health authority, as defined by Section 121.021, Health and Safety Code.\n(f) A municipality may not order the closure of a multi-family rental building due to a violation of an ordinance adopted by the municipality relating to habitability unless the municipality makes a good faith effort to locate housing with comparable rental rates in the same school district for the residents displaced by the closure.\n(g) The owner of a multi-family rental building commits an offense if the owner violates an ordinance adopted under this section. An offense under this subsection is a Class C misdemeanor. Each day the violation continues constitutes a separate offense.\n(h) A municipality may impose a civil penalty under Section 54.017 for a violation of this section.\nAdded by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1127 (H.B. 1819), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2009.","path":["LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE","TITLE 7. REGULATION OF LAND USE, STRUCTURES, BUSINESSES, AND RELATED ACTIVITIES","SUBTITLE A. MUNICIPAL REGULATORY AUTHORITY","CHAPTER 214. MUNICIPAL REGULATION OF HOUSING AND OTHER STRUCTURES","SUBCHAPTER G. BUILDING AND REHABILITATION CODES"],"source_url":"https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LG/htm/LG.214.htm#214.219","current_through":"89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T01:47:27Z","sha256":"be0b9bd4e6fab55eafc624b8f1887f137d748d5e65010715083ca4cac7c466f3","source_id":"us-tx","stale":false,"prev":"us-tx/tex.-local-government-code-214.218","next":"us-tx/tex.-local-government-code-214.220"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}