Fort Worth suburb strengthens ordinance to help apartment tenants
Bedford is making it easier for tenants to understand their rights and to report potential code violations.
On July 8, the City Council unanimously approved updates to the city’s multifamily ordinance outlining property inspections and property registration requirements.
One of the changes is that property owners can no longer request a second inspection during the year to improve scores, encouraging landlords to meet the requirements the first time.
The updated ordinance also includes categories for maintenance issues and timelines for making repairs.
For instance, exposed wiring, no running water and broken air conditioning units during hot weather must be repaired or addressed within 24 hours. Other maintenance issues must be addressed within 72 hours to 30 days depending on the seriousness of the violations.
During the July 8 council meeting, Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Dawkins said she is glad to see that progress is taking place.
“I’m just really excited that we got to this point because when I was running for council, a lot of residents approached me three years ago during a heatwave with concerns about cooling in their apartments, temperature of the water and how they could get relief,” Dawkins said.
Another important change requires landlords to display information with the inspection score for the property and information for tenants who must vacate because of nonpayment.
Some resources include contact information about the Texas Tenants Union and other organizations providing assistance in Tarrant County, which must be displayed prominently as part of the updated ordinance.
Mayor Dan Cogan said during the meeting: “I’m glad we can add those resources. When it comes to fighting homelessness, you’ve got to get on it quickly, right there. You’ve got to provide resources, that’s how we can stop it in its tracks.”
Cogan added that if the list of resources helps one person, then it’s worth it.
Another change requires all lease holders to sign an addendum stating they will not commit a crime on the property, and if they do, depending on the severity, they could face eviction.
Wes Morrison, Bedford’s development director, said in an email that the city started working on improving its multifamily registration and inspection program beginning in 2023 to make sure all residents were living in sanitary and safe conditions and to also make sure that property owners are keeping up with maintenance.
Morrison said city staff researched similar ordinances from cities including Mansfield, Irving, Dallas and San Antonio.
“We have had a few instances where landlords were not responding to tenants concerns as quickly as we thought they should, so these changes give everyone a better base line of the city’s expectations for all our rental properties,” Morrison said.