Houston Chronicle: Houston’s apartments may get new safety rules
House is likely to OK bill toughening checks
AUSTIN — The city of Houston will be forced to keep the pressure on apartment owners who fail to keep tenants safe and units up to code if the Legislature agrees to new regulations for strict and permanent building inspections.
Lawmakers in the Texas House voted unanimously Monday to make the city mandate minimum habitability standards in buildings with three or more multifamily units — and perform regular inspections to ensure compliance.
“This is about protecting tenants in apartments and about protecting surrounding neighborhoods,” said the bill’s author, state Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston. “This is a really, really big step forward for the city of Houston.”
The legislation is supported by Mayor Bill White, who last year placed more emphasis on apartment inspections by pledging to hire more inspectors. Houston has more than 2,000 multifamily apartment properties.