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Fort Worth Overview
Fort Worth, TX Code of Ordinances
FORT WORTH, TEXAS CODE OF ORDINANCES
OFFICIALS of the CITY OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS
PART I: THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF FORT WORTH
PART II: CITY CODE
CHAPTER 1: GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 2: ADMINISTRATION
CHAPTER 2.5: RETIREMENT
CHAPTER 3: AIRPORTS AND AIRCRAFT
CHAPTER 4: ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
CHAPTER 5: AMBULANCES/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
CHAPTER 6: ANIMALS AND FOWL
CHAPTER 7: BUILDINGS
CHAPTER 8: CABLE COMMUNICATION SERVICE
CHAPTER 9: COMMUNITY FACILITIES AGREEMENTS
CHAPTER 10: COURTS
CHAPTER 11: ELECTRICITY
CHAPTER 11.5: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER 12: EMERGENCY REPORTING EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES
CHAPTER 12.5: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND COMPLIANCE
CHAPTER 13: FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION
CHAPTER 14: RESERVED
CHAPTER 15: GAS
CHAPTER 16: HEALTH AND SANITATION
CHAPTER 17: HUMAN RELATIONS
CHAPTER 18: LAKE WORTH
CHAPTER 19: LIBRARIES
CHAPTER 20: LICENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS BUSINESS REGULATIONS
CHAPTER 21: RESERVED
CHAPTER 22: MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC
CHAPTER 23: OFFENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
CHAPTER 24: PARK AND RECREATION
CHAPTER 25: RESERVED
CHAPTER 26: PLUMBING
CHAPTER 27: POLICE
CHAPTER 28: PUBLIC UTILITIES
CHAPTER 29: SIGNS
CHAPTER 29.5: SMOKING
CHAPTER 30: STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
CHAPTER 31: SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE
CHAPTER 32: TAXATION
CHAPTER 33: TREES, SHRUBS, ETC.
CHAPTER 34: VEHICLES FOR HIRE
CHAPTER 35: WATER AND SEWERS
CHAPTER 36: RESERVED
APPENDIX A: ZONING REGULATIONS
APPENDIX B: CODE COMPLIANCE
APPENDIX C: RESERVED
CODE COMPARATIVE TABLE
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§ 7-404 LANDLORD/TENANT INSPECTIONS.
   (a)   The landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex shall inspect each dwelling unit prior to leasing and shall comply with the following.
      (1)   The inspection of a dwelling unit shall be conducted by the landlord and the unit’s tenant:
         a.   A minimum of once annually; and
         b.   When the occupancy of the unit changes.
      (2)   The landlord shall sign each inspection report, and shall require a tenant to sign the report for the tenant’s dwelling unit. If the tenant disagrees with any notation made by the landlord on the report, the landlord shall permit the tenant to make written comments on the report prior to signing it. The tenant shall also note any discrepancies they have identified with the unit upon move in and the landlord shall initial those noted items. The landlord shall provide the tenant with a copy of the report after it is signed.
      (3)   The director shall determine which standards established by the minimum building standards code shall be covered by the inspection.
      (4)   The failure of a landlord to make inspections as required by this subsection (a), to maintain records of the inspections, and to permit inspection of those records pursuant to subsection (b) below shall cause the complex to fail inspection.
   (b)   A landlord shall maintain reports of the inspections conducted pursuant to subsection (a) above for all dwelling units within the multifamily dwelling complex.
      (1)   The reports shall either be on a form provided by the director or on a form that complies with the requirements of the director.
      (2)   A report shall include places for marking whether the dwelling unit complies with the standards set by the director to be included within the scope of the inspection, and shall include the names of all persons occupying the dwelling unit (other than overnight guests).
      (3)   A report shall also include:
         a.   The names of designated employees or other authorized persons who shall be assigned to respond to emergency conditions; and
         b.   A telephone number where said employees can be contacted during any 24-hour period. The telephone number may be for an answering service that has the capability to contact the designated employee immediately. Emergency conditions shall include fire, natural disaster, flood, collapse hazard, burst pipes or violent crime.
   (c)   The director shall develop and maintain a rental handbook and shall provide each multifamily dwelling complex with a copy of the handbook upon registration.
      (1)   The handbook shall be entitled, “The Fort Worth Rental Handbook.”
      (2)   The handbook shall include:
         a.   Grounds for eviction of a tenant;
         b.   Who may issue and who may deliver an eviction notice;
         c.   A tenant’s rights to challenge an eviction notice;
         d.   The name and phone number of any agencies a tenant may contact for information or assistance to challenge an eviction notice; and
         e.   The telephone number of the code compliance department.
      (3)   A landlord shall duplicate the handbook and shall provide a copy to each tenant, either at the time the tenant signs the lease or at the time the landlord conducts an inspection of the tenant’s dwelling unit as provided by this section.
      (4)   A landlord may provide a tenant with an alternative publication upon prior written approval issued to the landlord by the director.
   (d)   A landlord commits an offense if the landlord knowingly violates this section.
(Ord. 12791, § 1, passed 12-3-1996; Ord. 13181, § 1, passed 10-2-1997; Ord. 14929, § 1, passed 1-15-2002; Ord. 17827, § 6, passed 10-9-2007; Ord. 19998-12-2011, § 7, passed 12-6-2011)
§ 7-405 PROBATIONARY STATUS, SUSPENSION AND REVOCATION OF REGISTRATION.
   (a)   Probationary status.
      (1)   In addition to any other authority granted by this section or any other provision of the code of the City of Fort Worth, the director may place the registration of a multifamily dwelling complex on a probationary status if:
         a.   A landlord fails to correct a violation of the city code or applicable state statute within the time specified in a notice of violation; or
         b.   Any inspection reveals a repeat violation of the same provision of the city code or applicable state statute which had been identified within the preceding 12-month period.
      (2)   a.   The duration of the probationary status shall begin upon the mailing of a notice by the director of the initiation of the probationary status and shall continue until both of the following conditions have been met:
            1.   All previously identified code violations at the complex have been corrected by the landlord and noted and approved by the director; and
            2.   No additional code or statutory violations are identified at the complex for 90 days after correction of the last violations as approved by the director.
         b.   The director shall impose a monthly administrative fee on the landlord for as long as the complex remains on probationary status.
   (b)   Suspension of registration.
      (1)   In addition to other authority granted by this section or any other provision of the code of the City of Fort Worth, if a complex fails to complete its probationary status within 180 days, the director may place the registration of such complex on suspended status. While under suspension, no unoccupied unit in the complex may be occupied and no occupied unit shall be occupied by new tenants until the complex has been in full compliance with the city code and all applicable laws for a minimum of 30 days. The registration shall remain suspended until the complex has been in full compliance with the city code and all applicable laws for a minimum of 180 days.
      (2)   If a complex has been on a suspended status at a previous time within the previous 36 months, no unit in the complex may be occupied by new tenants until it has been in full compliance for 90 days. The complex shall remain on suspension until it has been in full compliance with the city code and all applicable laws for 180 consecutive days.
      (3)   The director shall impose a monthly administrative fee on the landlord for as long as the complex remains on suspension status.
   (c)   Revocation of registration.
      (1)   In addition to other authority granted by this section or any other provision of the code of the City of Fort Worth, the director may revoke the registration of a multifamily dwelling complex if:
         a.   The complex is found to have one or more violations that constitute a danger to the health or safety of its tenants or the public at large and the landlord fails to correct such violation(s) within the time specified in a notice of violation; or
         b.   The complex has more than one fire, life and/or safety violation during any a 12-month period.
      (2)   A complex whose registration has been revoked may not do business until such registration has been reinstated. A complex whose registration has been revoked must be vacated within 30 days of such revocation. A landlord commits an offense each day or portion of a day the complex continues to offer a unit for rent while its registration is revoked and each day any unit remains occupied after the expiration of 30 days from the date of revocation.
   (d)   Appeal of probationary status, suspension or revocation of registration. A landlord may appeal the probationary status, suspension or revocation of registration to a designated hearing officer by filing a written request for appeal with the city secretary not later than 5:00 p.m. on the fifth business day following the date of notice. The appeal shall be heard by any designated hearing officer, who shall be appointed by the city council for a term of two years. Hearing officers shall report to and be under the administrative oversight of the director of municipal court services. The city council shall be authorized to remove hearing officers. The director of municipal court services shall be authorized to take disciplinary action against hearing officers other than removal. Hearing officers shall be exempt from the dismissal, suspension, and demotion provisions of Chapter 2, Article V of the code of the city. The appeal shall be by trial de novo and the director shall bear the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that, on the date of revocation, that the complex had one or more code violations that constituted a danger to the health and safety of its tenants or the public at large and the landlord had failed to correct such violation(s) within a reasonable time after receiving written notice of such violations. The decision of the hearing officer can be appealed to a civil district court of Tarrant County within 30 days of the decision of the hearing officer; the review shall be by trial de novo. The requirement that the complex be vacated shall be suspended during the pendency of the appeal to the hearing officer, for 30 days after the hearing officer’s order, and during any appeal to the district court, court of appeals, or the Texas Supreme Court, and for 15 days after the exhaustion of all appeals.
(Ord. 19998-12-2011, § 8, passed 12-6-2011; Ord. 21491-10-2014, § 2, passed 10-14-2014)
§§ 7-406—7-409 RESERVED.
DIVISION 3: MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR MULTIFAMILY DWELLING COMPLEXES
Editor’s note:
   Ord. 19998-12-2011, § 9, adopted December 6, 2011, amended the title of Div. 3 to read as herein set out. Prior to inclusion of said ordinance, Div. 3 was titled, “Crime Prevention Standards.” See also the Code Comparative Table.
§ 7-410 CRIME PREVENTION STANDARDS.
   The landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex shall provide the following crime prevention measures.
   (a)   Signs for emergencies and code violations. A landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex shall post and maintain signs on the premises of the complex which include the following:
      (1)   Emergency numbers. The names of designated employees or other authorized persons who shall be assigned to respond to emergency conditions, and a telephone number where said employees can be contacted during any 24-hour period. Emergency conditions shall include fire, natural disaster, flood, collapse hazard, burst pipes or violent crime; and
      (2)   Notice for reporting code violations. A sign for reporting code violations to the city in a form approved by the director.
   (b)   Sign requirements. The sign required by this section shall be a minimum of 12 inches by 24 inches. Sign facings shall be fabricated out of weather-proof material. The signs shall have a white background, with letters and numbers in a contrasting color. At each multifamily dwelling complex there shall be at least one sign posted, and an additional sign for each 50 dwelling units in excess of 50. The signs shall be prominently displayed in exterior, publicly accessible areas of the complex. If the complex has an on-site management office, one sign shall be on the exterior of the office.
   (c)   Lighting.
      (1)   Exterior illumination shall be provided at appropriate points adjacent to all building entrances, including individual dwelling units. Lighting shall be sufficient to illuminate areas where hazards may reasonably exist, and shall be operable between a half hour before sunset and a half hour after sunrise.
      (2)   Control mechanisms for such illumination shall be activated and deactivated by a photo cell or seasonally-adjusted timer switch, not operable by individual tenants of the complex except at individual dwelling units.
      (3)   A landlord shall repair all inoperable exterior lighting fixtures within a reasonable period of time after being notified that the fixture is not working. In no instance shall a reasonable period of time be deemed to mean more than seven days.
   (d)   Vacant buildings.
      (1)   All openings in vacant buildings and dwellings shall be closed and secured from unlawful entry by the installation and maintenance of appropriate locking devices and intact doors and windows which are proportioned to securely and completely fit the openings.
      (2)   Alternatively, with the approval of the director openings may be temporarily secured by means of the installation of proportioned wood materials in good condition. The surfaces of such materials exposed to the weather shall be protected with the application of exterior grade paint, or a similar weather resistant finish, which blends with the background color of the building.
   (e)   Security gate access.
      (1)   A landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex which has unstaffed security gates which restrict vehicle access onto the premises shall provide the chief of police with master codes to the gates so that police vehicles and personnel and ambulance and ambulance personnel are allowed unrestricted entry onto the premises when responding to emergencies and calls for service and routine patrols.
      (2)   Prior to changing the master codes, the landlord shall notify the chief of police of the new codes.
      (3)   All security gates shall be equipped with a manual override to be used in the event of a power outage or system failure. The landlord shall notify the chief of police of the location of the override.
      (4)   Access through such security gates by fire trucks and fire personnel shall be provided as required by the fire code.
         a.   Fire lanes shall be maintained in good condition with clearly visible markings.
         b.   Fire lanes shall be marked by a four-inch red line with “No Parking—Fire Lane” stenciled with white paint every 25 feet.
         c.   Fire lanes shall be signed with approved traffic signs 12 inches wide and 18 inches tall which state, “No Parking—Fire Lane.” A sign stating “Tow-Away Zone,” produced on a white background with red lettering shall accompany each of these. Signs shall be mounted so that the bottom of the sign is six feet six inches from the grade.
         d.   Fire lanes shall be kept clear of obstructions such as motor vehicles, solid waste collection bins, equipment or other similar items.
   (f)   Graffiti abatement. A landlord shall remove graffiti from the landlord’s multifamily dwelling complex as required by Appendix B of the city code.
   (g)   Occupancy limits. A landlord shall not permit a dwelling unit within the complex to be occupied other than by a family, as that term is defined within this code, and shall not permit the number of persons occupying a dwelling unit to exceed the occupancy load of the unit based on the standards set in the minimum building standards code.
   (h)   Tenant responsibility. Even the best security plans, devices and systems cannot completely prevent crime. The best safety measures a tenant of a multifamily dwelling complex can utilize are those performed out of common sense and habit. Such measures include locking doors and windows, not opening doors to strangers, and promptly reporting malfunctioning security devices and exterior lighting to the landlord.
   (i)   Multifamily dwelling complex of eight or more units. The landlord of each multifamily dwelling complex consisting of eight or more units shall ensure that, within six months of hire, each on-site manager and each employee authorized to show an apartment or execute a lease with prospective tenants attends an eight-hour training course which is approved by the chief of police on the subject of crime free multi-housing. Each calendar year the landlord or at least one employee for the complex shall attend a refresher training course. This provision shall become effective January 1, 2014.
   (j)   Multifamily dwelling complex consisting of three or more units. The landlord at a multifamily dwelling complex consisting of three or more units shall require the prospective tenant to execute a lease. The lease shall include one of the following provisions for each new lease or lease renewal for a unit which is executed after January 1, 2012:
      (1)   A standardized lease promulgated by the Texas Apartment Association containing a prohibition of criminal conduct on or about the premises;
      (2)   A standardized lease promulgated by the Texas Association of Realtors containing a prohibition of criminal conduct on or about the premises;
      (3)   A lease with an equivalent provision to (j)(1) or (j)(2) above containing a prohibition of criminal conduct on or about the premises; or
      (4)   A crime free lease addendum to read as follows: In consideration of the execution or renewal of a lease of the dwelling unit identified in the lease, owner and resident agree as follows:
         a.   Resident shall not engage in any activity on or near the dwelling unit premises that would subject the resident to a penalty of a Class C misdemeanor that involves possession of drug paraphernalia, assault or disorderly conduct; Texas Penal Code Class A or B misdemeanors; Texas Penal Code Felony or Texas Health and Safety Code violation or engage in any hazardous conduct that otherwise jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of the landlord, his or her agent or other tenant or involving imminent or actual serious property damage. Nothing in this provision shall be construed as requiring or encouraging the eviction or termination of a lease of a victim of domestic violence.
         b.   1.   Resident shall not permit any household member or guest to engage in any activity on or near the dwelling unit premises that would subject the resident to a penalty of a Class C misdemeanor that involves possession of drug paraphernalia, assault or disorderly conduct; Texas Penal Code Class A or B misdemeanors; Texas Penal Code Felony or Texas Health and Safety Code violation or engage in any hazardous conduct that otherwise jeopardizes the health, safety and welfare of the landlord, his or her agent or other tenant or involving imminent or actual serious property damage. Nothing in this provision shall be construed as requiring or encouraging the eviction or termination of a lease of a victim of domestic violence.
            2.   VIOLATION OF THE ABOVE PROVISIONS SHALL BE A MATERIAL VIOLATION OF THE LEASE AND GOOD CAUSE FOR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF THE TENANCY. A single violation of any provisions of this addendum shall be deemed a serious violation and a material noncompliance with the terms of this lease. It is understood that a single violation shall be good cause for the immediate termination of the lease. Unless otherwise provided by law, proof of a violation of law prohibited by this addendum shall not require a criminal conviction, but shall be by a preponderance of the evidence.
            3.   In case of conflict between the provisions of this addendum and any other provisions of the lease, the provisions of the addendum shall govern.
            4.   This lease addendum is incorporated into the lease executed or renewed this day between owner and resident.
   (k)   Crime prevention. Each multifamily dwelling complex consisting of eight or more units shall be subject to a crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) inspection conducted by the chief of police who shall advise the landlord of the findings.
   (l)   Landlord; offense. A landlord commits an offense if the landlord knowingly violates any provision of this section or fails to comply with any provision of this section.
(Ord. 12791, § 1, passed 12-3-1996; Ord. 13181, § 1, passed 10-2-1997; Ord. 17827, § 7, passed 10-9-2007; Ord. 19998-12-2011, § 10, passed 12-6-2011)
§ 7-411 BUILDING, COMMON AREA AND OPERATIONAL STANDARDS FOR MULTIFAMILY DWELLING COMPLEXES.
   (a)   Requirements generally. It is a violation of the city code for a landlord to fail to comply with any of the requirements required by Chapter 7 of the city code, including but not limited to the requirements imposed by Article IV that are specific to multifamily dwelling complexes.
   (b)   Pet requirements.
      (1)   The landlord of a multifamily dwelling complex in which tenants or guests are allowed to own, keep or harbor cats or dogs must require that each allowed animal, at the time of leasing and upon each renewal of a lease, is in compliance with Chapter 6 of this code, including that each animal over four months of age has a registered microchip or license in compliance with § 6-19; and that each animal over six months of age is spayed, neutered or subject to an intact pet permit in compliance with § 6-22.
      (2)   Nothing in the pet requirements is intended nor shall be construed as requiring or encouraging a landlord to restrict service animals or impairing the right of a tenant, resident or guest to keep a service animal consistent with the Americans with Disability Act, being 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101 et seq.
   (c)   Recycling.
      (1)   Requirement to submit a recycling plan. The landlord of each multifamily dwelling complex with eight or more units must submit a recycling plan in accordance with the following provisions.
         a.   The plan must describe the materials to be recycled, the method of collection and storage of recyclables, and the frequency of pick-ups by an approved waste hauler. The plan shall also include a diagram of the property showing the location(s) where containers for the collection of recyclable materials will be placed.
         b.   For each multifamily dwelling complex with eight or more units which is in operation on or prior to October 31, 2013 the recycling plan must be submitted no later than January 1, 2014.
         c.   For each multifamily dwelling complex with eight or more units which comes into operation after November 1, 2013 the recycling plan must be submitted no later than 60 days after a certificate of occupancy is issued for the complex.
      (2)   Implementation of a recycling plan.
         a.   The landlord of each multifamily dwelling complex with eight or more units must implement the approved recycling plan within 30 days of approval of the plan by the director. It shall be a violation for a landlord to fail to implement or comply with the specifications of the approved recycling plan for the complex.
         b.   A waiver of the requirement to implement a recycling plan may be granted at the discretion of the director if the landlord can demonstrate that implementation of a recycling plan is impossible or impractical or if the landlord can demonstrate that none of the tenants at the complex wish to participate in recycling.
   (d)   Electric service. At a multifamily dwelling complex consisting of eight or more units on a property with one county appraisal district account number:
      (1)   A tenant must provide to the landlord, within 30 days of the earlier of executing a lease or taking occupancy of a rental unit, documentation of a current account to provide electric service to the tenant’s unit, excepting however when electric service is provided by the landlord.
      (2)   The landlord must maintain a copy of the documentation of the tenant having opened an account for electric service on file and available for inspection by the director during normal business hours.
      (3)   A landlord has a duty to regularly conduct visual inspections of the above ground electrical feed and meters at the complex to detect tampering or vandalism. Any tampering or vandalism must be reported to both the utility provider and to the director as soon as practicable but no later than 24 hours after detection. If an inspection by the city reveals two or more instances in which the electrical feed or meters have been tampered with or vandalized within a 12-month period, or any single instance in which five or more meters have been tampered with or vandalized, and such vandalism or tampering was not reported to the electric provider and the director, the landlord shall be presumed to have failed to report as required herein and additionally the landlord must thereafter securely lock or enclose the meters, in compliance with all applicable building standards, so as to effectively prevent future vandalism or tampering.
(Ord. 19998-12-2011, § 10, passed 12-6-2011; Ord. 23295-06-2018, § 2, passed 6-26-2018, eff. 7-6-2018)
§§ 7-412—7-415 RESERVED.
DIVISION 4: ENFORCEMENT
§ 7-416 CRIMINAL ENFORCEMENT.
   A violation of this article is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $2,000 in accordance with § 1-6(c). Each separate occurrence of a violation or each day that a violation continues shall constitute a separate offense. The failure to perform an act required by this article is a violation of this article.
(Ord. 12791, § 1, passed 12-3-1996; Ord. 17827, § 8, passed 10-9-2007; Ord. 19998-12-2011, § 11, passed 12-6-2011; Ord. 23569-02-2019, § 2, passed 2-12-2019, eff. 2-23-2019)
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