Your Houston Apartment Is a Problem. Here's Who to Call.
It's August. Your AC has been "getting looked at" for eleven days. The hallway smells like something no hallway should smell like. Your landlord's last text was a thumbs-up emoji. At some point, patience stops being a virtue and starts being a lease violation waiting to happen.
Houston renters have real recourse — it's just scattered across a few agencies, depending on what's broken and where you live.
Start With 311
If you're inside Houston city limits, 311 is your first call (or visit houstonpermittingcenter.org). The City of Houston Permits office handles complaints about structural issues, plumbing failures, electrical hazards, and other conditions that make a unit legally uninhabitable. You can file online, by phone, or in person. An inspector gets dispatched; the landlord gets a notice; the clock starts ticking on repairs.
Keep your confirmation number. That paperwork is your evidence trail if things escalate.
Outside City Limits? That's Harris County Code
A lot of Houston's rental stock sits in unincorporated Harris County — think stretches west of Beltway 8, parts of the Bayou suburbs, and plenty of apartment complexes that technically aren't "in" Houston at all. For those addresses, Harris County Code Enforcement is the right call. Their jurisdiction covers property maintenance standards, illegal dumping, and unsafe structures.
Not sure which side of the line you're on? Your lease address and a quick HCAD property search will tell you. HCAD (Harris County Appraisal District) isn't an enforcement agency, but their database shows ownership records — useful if you're trying to figure out exactly who owns the LLC that owns your building.
Document Before You Dial
Whichever agency you contact, come prepared. Photos with timestamps, written maintenance requests (texts count), and a clear description of how long the problem has existed all strengthen your complaint. Inspectors can only act on what they can verify.
One more thing: filing a complaint is legally protected activity. A landlord cannot retaliate against you for contacting a code enforcement agency — not with a rent hike, not with a nonrenewal, not with suddenly "finding" lease violations. Texas Property Code Section 92.331 says so explicitly.
Your apartment should be livable. That's not a high bar. And now you know exactly who to call when it isn't.
