72,000 Rental Units In Dallas Are 'Inadequate'

Finding an affordable apartment in Dallas is challenging, not because there are not many available apartments but because there are not many that do not cost an arm and a leg. But even if you find a reasonably priced apartment, you may have to sacrifice the luxuries of modern living, like an insect-free environment or reliable electricity. According to a study, many Dallas renters live in “inadequate” conditions.

The report, produced by Instant Roofer, found that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) ranked 72,254 rental units as inadequate. HUD categorizes rental properties based on reports of pest infestations, water leaks and heating issues. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, 23,000 units were classified as “severely inadequate,” lacking necessities like electricity or a complete bathroom.

The most common complaint in North Texas is cockroaches; 26% of rental units reported an unwanted presence of the arthropods. The region has a higher rate of cockroach reports than the national average of 18% of all rental properties. Other widespread complaints from renters are apartments without power, which affect 15% of rental units, and uncomfortably hot apartments, which affect 13% of rentals.

"With the average renter spending 31% of their income on housing, they should not also be dealing with maintenance issues such as cockroaches and water leaks," said Sam Wilson, a spokesperson for Instant Roofer.

As bad as 72,000 inadequate units sounds, it's not nearly as bad as it could be. Compared with other major metropolitan areas, Dallas has a low percentage of inadequate properties, and the rate has lowered from 6.1% in 2019 to 5.9% in 2023. New York City has the highest rate of inadequate rental properties, 13.9%, or 533,391, and has risen 3% since 2019.

Headlines regarding poor and dangerous apartment living conditions have recently been popping up in North Texas. A Dallas man living in an apartment on Oak Lawn Avenue told CBS 11 in 2024 that he had been living in "hazardous conditions" for two months at that point. He suspected that black mold, worms and flies in his apartment had possibly caused a skin rash he was battling. The tenant had filed multiple requests for service and complaints to the management, who had not been responsive, according to the report.

In Texas, renters are protected by the “warrant of habitability” law, which requires landlords to maintain rental properties in safe and livable conditions.

“If you are facing issues with the condition of your rental property, make sure you’re documenting everything thoroughly with photos, written descriptions, and dates," said Jacob Petrosky, founder of Instant Roofer. "Communicate your concerns to your landlord in writing, and keep copies of any correspondence. If your landlord doesn't address the issues, you can file a complaint with Dallas' Code Compliance Services.”