Houston council may penalize landlords of apartments with violations in new ordinance

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The City of Houston could soon be putting the hammer down on apartment complexes across town that are accused of creating bad environments.

A new proposed ordinance would allow city departments to pressure landlords to make repairs to problems in a timely manner.

Council member Letitia Plummer told ABC13 that if approved, the city would create a list in conjunction with the police department of apartment complexes with 10 or more vetted complaints to 311 and crime calls.

She says this would allow people across our area to know what they're getting into before they rent in Houston.

Through ABC13's Renters Rights, we hear the issues people face with their landlords consistently.

"(It's) unfair for rent payers to live in places where there's rats, rodents, mold, no running water, and no air conditioning," Houston City Councilwoman Letitia Plummer said.

Plummer told ABC13 that she has been working on drafting an Apartment Inspection Ordinance since 2021, because she hears and sees the problems.

The ordinance would make departments like the Houston Mayor's Office, police department, and health department work together to encourage landlords to make repairs to problems in a timely manner. Through the creation of "the high-risk apartment inspection program. "

"One thing we're able to do is get more inspectors to assist with residents, but not having a codified ordinance, not having everyone working in unison has been a big challenge," Plummer said.

It's a challenge she hopes will end when it comes up for discussion at a general council meeting in June.

The program would trigger mandatory inspections and follow-up inspections by city departments at high-risk properties.

Plummer says a property is considered high risk if they have ten or more vetted complaints against it within the span of a year.

"People will actually be able to see tangible results getting taken care of. They'll be able to see and know who those bad actors are. Those repeat offenders," Taylor Laredo with Texas Housers said.

Plummer says if the ordinance is approved, there will be consequences for landlords, like fines, civil action, or possible revocation of the certificate of occupancy.

The councilwoman's team says if the ordinance is approved, departments tied to this team will be asked to monitor and take in data on costs to see if they increase.

They say right now they're not adding inspection fees, but those are discussions that could be had at some point.

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