HOUSTON — The Houston City Council approved an ordinance Wednesday that targets apartment complexes with repeated health and safety violations by creating a registry for high-risk rental properties and imposing stricter enforcement measures.
The ordinance establishes a registry of “high-risk rental buildings” for apartment complexes that accumulate 10 or more health and safety violations within a six-month period. Properties placed on the registry will face ongoing inspections and higher fines for unresolved violations.
Council member Tiffany Thomas, chair of the housing and affordability committee, said the measure responds to unsafe living conditions reported across the city.
“You can’t watch a news segment or Instagram or Facebook without watching a story about horrible conditions many individuals are living in,” Thomas said. “Structural issues, health issues, safety issues — and Houstonians deserve more.”
Under the ordinance, property owners who fail to correct violations could face fines ranging from $500 to $2,000 per day for each unresolved citation.
Council member Martha Castex-Tatum, chair of the economic development committee, said the ordinance focuses on apartment complexes with repeated violations.
“The rules target repeat offenders, the worst properties — not all owners,” Castex-Tatum said.
The ordinance also creates landlord training programs and establishes an interdepartmental oversight committee that includes tenant and landlord representatives.
Former council member Letitia Plummer began developing the measure five years ago. The proposal faced delays in 2025 after apartment industry groups raised concerns and city officials called for more public engagement.
Thomas and Castex-Tatum later organized two public meetings before advancing the ordinance. Mayor John Whitmire said the public engagement process was beneficial.
According to Whitmire’s administration, the registry will initially include about 12 properties during the program’s first year as part of a pilot effort. Houston has about 4,800 known apartment complexes.
