A Hard-Fought Win for Tenants: DAI Secures Safer Reporting of Code Violations

For years, Dallas Area Interfaith (DAI) tenant leaders have shone a public light on the hazardous, unbearable apartment conditions they face, and urged city officials to develop solutions to hold landlords accountable. Despite paying market-rate rents, mold, rats, and leaky sewage are just some of the issues experienced by these tenants.

Almost a decade ago, DAI was at the center of a successful effort to overhaul the Dallas rental housing code. After years of continued organizing, leaders have now secured a mechanism to ensure the code is enforced.

[Excerpt]

“Early this year, the (Code Compliance) Department rolled out a new way for residents to anonymously request that their unit be inspected.

Between two and four weeks before the inspection, Code Compliance staff hang up several flyers in English and Spanish with a QR code for residents to scan and respond to a questionnaire to get their units inspected.

Dallas Area Interfaith urged the city to devise a system that allowed residents to report issues in their units without fear of reprisal. The organization works with community leaders to improve the quality of life for renters and help them organize against landlord retaliation.

'What this does is it allows the tenants to make us aware of issues inside their property…without tipping off the property owner that we were contacted,' (Ariel) Garcia (administrator for Code Specialty Divisions) said." 

Property owners incur non-compliance fines per unit, violation, and reinspection until violations are resolved.

Dallas Residents Can Anonymously Ask the City to Inspect their Apartments, Dallas Morning News [pdf]