Pasadena rental registration rules: the occupancy licence from the first duplex

Pasadena draws its line at two. “It shall be unlawful for any person to lease space in a multiunit complex without a current and valid occupancy license having been issued for said duplex, triplex, or multifamily complex. A separate license will be required for each separate location,” and “in the absence of a valid occupancy license no unit may be leased” (§16½-6). The chapter — rewritten in 1996 and updated in October 2025 to adopt the 2024 International Property Maintenance Code — is administered by an apartment inspector appointed by the Mayor and enforced by the building official; its fees are on the city’s schedule (Fee schedule). A single-family house is outside it. As read in September 2026, no short-term rental chapter appears in the Code, so a nightly let in a house is a zoning and hotel-tax question rather than a licence one.

The application: what §16½-6 asks for

Name, address and telephone number of the owner, the complex manager and the mortgagee, if any; the trade name of the complex — which "may not be used unless it has been filed in the County Assumed Name Records of Harris County" — and the registered agents.
The number of units by size (efficiency to four bedrooms) and "a copy of each type of floor plan showing the dimensions of the bedrooms."
"The owner's acknowledgment of receipt of a copy of this article and an agreement to abide by it as a condition of receiving and maintaining an occupancy license."
If the owner resides outside Harris County, the designation of "the resident manager who shall be the agent for the purpose of notice."
"Evidence that the multifamily complex has been sprayed and treated for insects, rodents, and vermin, within the preceding six (6) months by a person licensed under the Texas Structural Pest Control Act."
A certification that every unit has a smoke detector meeting state law at the time of leasing (§16½-9).

Licences expire December 31; on a change of ownership the licence expires and a new one must be obtained within 30 days, and the city must be told within 30 days of any change of manager or resident landlord. On request the owner produces “official rental records … including but not limited to, lease agreements and other records which indicate the number of occupants per apartment unit” and “a log of all repairs and replacement costing more than two hundred dollars ($200.00)” (§16½-6).

PASADENA OCCUPANCY LICENCE — FEES AND PENALTIES
Item	Amount	Source
Duplex or triplex	$50 per dwelling unit per year, inspection included	Fee schedule
Complex of 4+ units	$250 base per complex + $3.25 per unit inspection fee (min. $25) per year	Fee schedule
Replacement licence	$5	Fee schedule
Re-inspection after a violation	$100, payable before the re-inspection	Code §16½-17
Violation	Misdemeanour; fine up to $500, each day a separate offence; $200–$1,000 per day after a third inspection or prior citation	Code §16½-17
Placarded unit	Must be vacated; occupying or authorising occupation is an offence; licence may be revoked for the unit	Code §§16½-15, 16½-16

Inspections: what the city may enter

The administrator may inspect “the exterior of the structure,” “the interior and exterior of vacant duplex, triplex, and multifamily units,” and “the interior of occupied … units if permission is granted by the occupant,” together with storage areas, community buildings, pools and equipment rooms; where entry is refused the city may seek an inspection warrant (§16½-13). A lease clause that admits the city inspector on reasonable notice, with the tenant’s permission recorded, keeps the annual visit routine.

Master-metered complexes

Where the owner buys a utility and supplies it to the units, §16½-8 requires a posted notice “containing the name, address and telephone number of the person with the authority and responsibility for making payment to the utility companies,” updated within ten days of any change, and makes it “a violation of this chapter to fail to pay a utility bill when the nonpayment results in the interruption to any dwelling unit of service essential to the habitability of the unit” — gas, electric, water and wastewater (§16½-8). The state’s allocation rules in Water Code §13.5031 sit alongside.

Single-family houses and short stays

A house let for a year files nothing; the 2024 IPMC still applies through complaint-driven code enforcement, whose typical complaints the city lists as high grass, junk vehicles, trailers in the roadway and dangerous buildings (Code Enforcement). No short-term rental article was found in the Code as read in September 2026; a landlord considering nightly lets should ask Planning in writing and keep the answer, and a long-term lease should prohibit stays under 30 days. The Pasadena lease guide carries the licence and standards clauses; the Pasadena maintenance guide the standards themselves.

What to keep in the file

The current licence and each renewal receipt; the acknowledgment of Chapter 16½ signed by the owner.
The pest-control invoices, dated within six months of each application.
The resident manager designation, if the owner lives outside Harris County; the assumed-name filing for the trade name.
Per unit: the lease, the occupant count, the smoke-detector certification and the log of repairs over $200.
The inspection reports and any re-inspection receipts.

What changes in Pasadena

Licensing starts at a duplex; single-family houses are excluded.
A pest treatment within six months and a resident manager for out-of-county owners are conditions.
Fees of $50 a unit, or $250 plus $3.25 a unit; licences expire every December 31.
A $100 re-inspection fee and fines up to $1,000 a day after repeated inspections.
The inspector may ask for leases, occupant counts and the repair log.

Frequently asked questions

Which Pasadena rentals need an occupancy licence?

Every duplex, triplex and multifamily complex; no unit may be leased without a current licence, and single-family houses are not covered (Code §16½-6).

What does the Pasadena occupancy licence cost?

$50 per unit per year for a duplex or triplex including inspection; $250 per complex plus $3.25 per unit (minimum $25) for four or more units (City of Pasadena).

When does a Pasadena occupancy licence expire?

December 31 each year; on a change of ownership the licence expires and a new one is required within 30 days (Code §16½-6).

What are the penalties for leasing without a licence in Pasadena?

A misdemeanour with fines up to $500 per day, $200 to $1,000 per day after a third inspection or a prior citation, a $100 re-inspection fee, and — for a placarded unit — an order to vacate (Code §§16½-16, 16½-17).

Sources

Rules change and the right answer can depend on the home, the city, the lease and the timing. These are the official pages this guide relies on; check them before signing, charging a fee, sending a notice or making a legal decision.

General information for U.S. landlords, with a Texas focus. This guide is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Consult a qualified professional for your situation. Written by the rentalfreelease.com Editorial Team; last reviewed September 19, 2026.