Dallas's AC rule, explained for renters and landlords

Dallas's housing code already requires rental owners to provide working air conditioning in every habitable room. If it breaks and isn't fixed fast, owners can owe tenants somewhere else to stay.

Am I covered?For owners Report a problem

The rule

City Code § 27-11(e)(1)

AC equipment able to keep each habitable room

Cooler than outside by at least: 15°F
Highest allowed: 85°F

If a repair takes more than72 hoursand it's 95°F or hotter three days running, the owner must provide alternative housing.

In force now. There's no compliance deadline to wait for.

What the code requires

Working AC in each habitable roomThe owner must provide, and maintain in operating condition, refrigerated air equipment able to keep a room at least 15°F cooler than outside, and never higher than 85°F, in each habitable room.
Habitable roomA space used for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking. Bathrooms, closets, halls, storage, and utility spaces don't count.
Equipment upkeepOwners must also keep fixed AC systems working and attached, including covers, panels, conduits, and disconnects, and install any window units to the construction codes.
No single limitThe code states the standard as what the equipment must be able to do. We don't publish a single "your limit is X" figure, because the code doesn't say how the two tests combine on a given day.

Who it covers

Check your home

Rental property in DallasIt's a defense to prosecution that the structure isn't a rental property. A home its owner lives in isn't the target of this rule.
Inside city limitsThis is the City of Dallas's code. ZIP codes don't follow city lines, so check that your home is in Dallas, not a neighboring city.

When AC breaks

Step by step

The 72 hour ruleAfter an owner gets a notice or citation for broken AC, the owner has 72 hours to repair it.
Alternative housingIf it isn't repaired in 72 hours, and the daytime high at Dallas Love Field, as measured by the National Weather Service, is 95°F or above for three days in a row after the notice or citation, the owner must provide alternative housing that meets the standards.
The hot day exceptionWhen it's over 110°F outside, it's a defense if at least one habitable room is 85°F, measured 3 feet above the floor and 2 feet from the exterior walls.
Other defensesAn act of nature or another cause beyond the owner's reasonable control, or diligent repair efforts shown to the City's director, in which case the City doesn't issue a notice or citation. New construction making reasonable and continuous progress is also covered.

For renters

Tell your landlord firstPut the repair request to your landlord or property manager in writing, and keep a copy. FOX 4 Dallas advises renters who aren't getting relief from their landlord to call 311.
Report itDial 311 from inside the city, or (214) 670-3111 from outside it. You can also file online. Step by step
Penalties for ownersThe code treats each day a violation continues as a separate offense, and the City can also seek a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day. Fines for repeat convictions within 24 months double and then triple. FOX 4 Dallas and UNT Dallas College of Law report criminal fines of up to $2,000 per day.

What we couldn't confirm yet

The top criminal fineThe penalty text we read sets minimum fines and the civil penalty, but the excerpt doesn't show the maximum. The $2,000 per day figure comes from FOX 4 and UNT reporting, so treat it as the top of the range.
Who has to prove whatMany of these rules are written as defenses to prosecution. If your situation is specific, a tenant organization or an attorney can advise you.