Do this today
- Photograph the condition. Write the date.
- Dial 311 or file with Houston 311.
- If there is no heat, no water, or a gas smell: 911 or the utility first.
What does “livable” mean in Houston?
Heat, water, sanitation, and structural safety are the usual floor. The exact list is in Texas Property Code — residential tenancies and often in the city housing code Houston 311 enforces. This desk does not reprint temperature charts or hour-counts.
What if nothing happens after I report it?
Keep the request numbers from 311 or Houston 311. Take that file to legal aid. Do not skip rent on a rumor. If the condition is dangerous tonight — no heat in winter, a gas leak, a collapsed ceiling — treat it as an emergency.
The Houston layer
There is no Houston rent board. Code enforcement and 311 are the City doors. Possession is a justice-court case.
Texas Property Code — residential tenancies (Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92) is the Texas floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
Houston questions
What if there is no heat or no water in Houston?
Treat it as urgent. Dial 311 or file with Houston 311. If it is dangerous tonight, 911 or the utility. Then write it down and call legal aid before you skip rent.
What number should I call in Houston?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. Houston 311 does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org