(a) The director may conduct:
(1) Inspections for issuance of certificate of occupancy in conjunction with the development department;
(2) Inspections based on indications of code violations, including complaints filed with the director;
(3) Periodic inspections; and
(4) Follow-up inspections.
(b) The following areas of a multifamily dwelling complex shall be subject to inspection by the director:
(1) All building exteriors;
(2) All exterior and interior public areas;
(3) Vacant dwelling units; and
(4) Occupied dwelling units upon the consent of the tenant or when subject to a valid warrant issued by the court.
(c) The director may inspect portions of a multifamily dwelling complex as frequently as the director deems necessary. The director shall schedule periodic inspections no less frequently than once every two years. Multifamily dwelling complexes operated by a local government housing authority are exempt from periodic inspections.
(d) The landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex shall make all exteriors, all exterior and interior public areas, and all vacant dwelling units of the complex available to the director for inspections at all reasonable times.
(e) A multifamily dwelling complex fails inspection if it does not score at least 100 points, out of a possible 125 points, according to the periodic inspection report scale as promulgated by the director. The landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex that fails the periodic inspection as provided for in this section shall correct all violations identified in the periodic inspection report within 30 days unless a longer period of time or an extension has been granted by the director.
(f) The director is authorized to make follow-up inspections of a multifamily dwelling complex to inspect all areas included in the periodic inspection as well as occupied dwelling units, in such frequency and scope as the director deems necessary to determine compliance with this article and with the minimum building standards code.
(g) The landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex must correct all violations identified in an inspection report.
(h) In addition to the other authority granted by this section, the director is authorized to inspect a multifamily dwelling complex with greater frequency than provided above if the director has cause to believe that the complex is not in compliance with the minimum building standards code or this article.
(i) In addition to other authority granted by this section, the director has all rights and authority granted by Tex. Code of Criminal Procedure Article 18.05. Inspections shall comply with all federal, state and local laws, regulations and ordinances.
(j) When considering a violation created by a tenant the director may consider the timeliness of the landlord’s response to the violation, actions taken by the landlord to address a tenant’s activities that may have caused the condition that was a violation, and actions taken by the landlord to prevent or reduce similar violations in the future.
(k) The director is authorized to publish the results of inspections.
(Ord. 12791, § 1, passed 12-3-1996; Ord. 14929, §§ 1, 3, passed 1-15-2002; Ord. 17522, § 5, passed 4-24-2007; Ord. 17827, § 5, passed 10-9-2007; Ord. 19998-12-2011, § 6, passed 12-6-2011; Ord. 21105-01-2014, § 3, passed 2-28-2014; eff. 2-4-2014)