The first course of action for the officer is to educate the resident or property owner by issuing a Notice of Violation (NOV). In many cases, citizens are not aware they are committing a code violation. A NOV provides specific information about the violation and sets a number of days within which the violation must be corrected.

If a NOV is received, citizens are encouraged to speak with their code compliance officer in order to work out a solution to the problem. The officer's objective is to ensure that you and your neighbors have a livable neighborhood in which to work and live.

Contact your Code Compliance Officer

Depending upon the seriousness of a violation or due to a violation continuing to occur, citations may be issued. Citations carry fines up to $2,000, depending on the nature, severity, and frequency of the violation.

You may choose to pay the fine for the violation(s) you are charged with.

  Click here for payment options.   

If you prefer, you may plead "Not Guilty" and request a trial by Judge or Jury in writing through the U.S. Postal Service to the Arlington Municipal Court, or in person.

  Click here for Municipal Court information. 

For more information about the judicial process, please visit the City of Arlington's Municipal Court website.

In cases such as Dangerous Building Hearings, staff may request that the Judge assess civil penalties instead of expenses, in order to gain a property owner's attention with higher dollar amounts. The assessment of civil penalties requires an enabling order by a judge or citizen board, as specified in the individual laws. Penalties can range up to $1,000 per day depending on the severity of the code violations and the past code compliance history of the violator.

Some codes enable Cities to hire contractors to remove violations, bill the property owner, and lien the property for expenses and fees if the bill is not paid within 60-120 days. High weeds and grass, unclean premises, and nuisance vehicles are examples where this is the case. Liens are subordinate only to tax liens and previously recorded mortgage liens and prevent a lengthy collections effort.

When abatements are necessary, ordinance allows the City to place a lien on a property for the cost of abatement and associated administrative fees.

A rarely used, but available, option is the revocation by the City’s Building Official of a business’ or multi-family complex’s Certificate of Occupancy. When such a business refuses to comply with City ordinances and other enforcement actions have failed, the City can request that the Certificate of Occupancy for the building be revocated. Examples include establishments conducting business operations that are not covered by their CO, zoning violations, or businesses the operation of which constitutes a life/safety hazard.

Occasionally complaints are received for violations which a Code Officer does not personally observe. This can occur with violations that happen infrequently such as parking in the yard or traffic at random times of the day to a home business that is not allowed. Residents who have observed these occurrences can file a complaint affidavit with the applicable district field office and request that appropriate enforcement actions be taken. A citation may be issued based on the residents’ willingness to testify in court as to the violation(s) existence, in place of a Code Officer.

As a tenant, or as a property-owner, there are certain expectations as to the conditions of a rental property. The codes and ordinances implemented by the City of Arlington are to help protect tenants and contribute to a thriving community. Code Compliance officers enforce the ordinances in a fair and impartial manner. There are times however, when renters or property owners have concerns that may not be covered by the codes and ordinances and must be handled as a civil manner between the tenant and landlord.

Learn About Your Rights as a Tenant

• Visit the Texas Attorney General of Texas website for more information

Resources/other Assistance

Texas State Law Library Dispute Resolution Centers

Dispute Resolution Program of Tarrant County

100 E. Weatherford, Suite 404
Fort Worth, TX 76104
817-884-2257 or email DRP@tarrantcountytx.gov

Better Business Bureau Fort Worth (serving Tarrant County)

1300 Summit Avenue, Suite 700
Fort Worth, TX 76102
1-800-621-8566, or 817-332-7585

Legal Aid of North West Texas

600 E. Weatherford Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
1-800-995-3959 or 817-336-3943

Mission Arlington / Mission Metroplex

210 W. South Street
Arlington, TX 76010

Contact online at www.missionarlington.org, or call 817-277-6620.

• Learn about services provided
• Learn about emergency assistance

Apartment Association of Tarrant County (AATC)

• Texas Apartment Association (TAA)
• TAA - Renters FAQ
• Resources for Renters

Contact the AATC online at www.aatcnet.org, or direct customer inquiries and complaints to the help line at 817-284-1123 or 817-284-1121.