Vacant Rental Risks in DFW: Dallas and Fort Worth Rules

Short answer

City rules add to the statewide risks. Dallas requires yearly rental registration with a $74 fee, or an annual affidavit if the house is not rented. Fort Worth makes registration mandatory only for rentals with certain code violations. A holdover tenant's case goes to the justice court where the house sits.

Between tenants in Fort Worth, Dallas or a nearby suburb? Start with our Texas guide to vacant rental risks for the statewide rules on insurance, taxes, trespass and the duties that return at move-in. This page adds what is specific to DFW: the city rental programs, the courts that hear local eviction cases, and the county tax deadlines that keep running while the house earns nothing.

Dallas: registration does not stop for a vacancy

Dallas runs a Single-Family Rental Registration and Inspection Program for single-family homes, duplexes and condominium units. Starting October 1, 2025, the city requires owners of those rentals to register every year online. Each registration needs a non-refundable $74.00 fee and an annual Owner's Self Inspection Checklist with an affidavit for each dwelling or unit.

The program also calls for a city inspection of each single-family rental at least once every five years and no more than once a year. That cap does not apply to complaint-based inspections, which the city says are not limited in number. An empty house with tall grass or an open door can draw a complaint even with no tenant to make one.

What about a house that is between leases? The program's FAQ answers a related question. If a property is not rented, registration is not required and no annual fee is collected, but the owner must file an affidavit every year stating that fact. A few more FAQ points matter to an owner with an empty rental:

Registration lasts one year from the date you register.
There are no refunds of registration fees if you sell the property.
Failing to register can lead to a notice of violation from a code officer, and citations may follow.
An owner who lives out of state does not have to attend the inspection; the tenant or the owner's agent may attend.

Because "not rented" and "between tenants" may not mean the same thing to the program, call 214-671-RENT (7368) before you skip a renewal.

Fort Worth: registration is tied to violations

Fort Worth takes a different approach for one- and two-family rentals. The city says registration is voluntary for those rentals when they have no violations. It becomes mandatory for one- and two-family rentals with fire safety or public health and sanitation code violations, and the annual fee is $200 for each unit with violations.

Out-of-state owners must designate a local agent to accept legal service and a contact for local emergencies. For an owner who lives elsewhere, that local contact is also the person who can check on the empty house, receive a code notice and let a contractor in.

Our DFW vacant house checklist covers Fort Worth's and Dallas's rules for securing empty structures and keeping yards cut, which apply to a rental between tenants as much as to any other empty house.

Who hears an occupancy dispute in DFW

If someone ends up in the house during the gap, the first question is who that person is. A former tenant who stays past the end of the lease and a stranger who broke in follow different paths, and both start at the county level.

Property Code Sec. 24.004 gives eviction suits to the justice court in the precinct where the property is located. Several Dallas County justice courts keep their own evictions pages. The page for Justice of the Peace Court 3-1, for example, links eviction filing information, eviction fees, a Motion for Summary Disposition form and a Request for Writ of Possession form, and it notes that the information is not legal advice.

In Tarrant County, Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 publishes an information packet on the unauthorized-occupant process. It notes that an owner may ask the sheriff or constable for removal instead of filing suit. It also says a forcible entry and detainer suit against a squatter is improper where the occupant came in with the consent of someone in possession or was a tenant at will or at sufferance. In those cases it points the owner to a regular eviction suit. The packet states that it is not legal advice.

Our posts on evicting a squatter in DFW and whether DFW police can remove squatters go deeper on these local steps. A Texas real estate attorney can tell you which route fits your facts before you file anything.

County tax deadlines during a vacancy

Rent stops, but the county tax bill does not. The Dallas County Tax Office warned owners that 2025 property taxes not paid by January 31, 2026, would accrue an additional 7% of the balance in penalty and interest. That figure lines up with the state penalty and interest schedule described in our Texas guide, and the charges keep growing each month the bill stays unpaid.

If a turnover lands in December or January, plan the tax payment from reserves rather than from the next tenant's first rent.

DFW tax lookups: Dallas County Tax Office · Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector. For a rental in Collin or Denton County, use that county's tax office, and check every tax bill tied to the address.

A DFW turnover checklist

Dallas rental: confirm your registration date, and ask the program whether the gap calls for a renewal or an affidavit.
Fort Worth rental: clear any open fire safety or sanitation violations so registration does not become mandatory.
Out-of-state owner: name a local contact who can reach the house the same day.
Look up which justice court precinct covers the address, so you know where a case would go if one is ever needed.
Pay or reserve the county tax bill before January 31.
Walk the house and yard on a schedule so a neighbor's complaint is not how you learn about a problem.

Selling the rental instead of re-leasing it

A vacancy is a natural time to decide whether to keep a DFW rental. Cash Home Advisors is based in Fort Worth and buys houses across DFW. We can close in 7–14 days, we pay all closing costs, and you see the closing statement before you sign. If the house will sit empty while you decide, our guide to selling a vacant house in DFW lays out the options.

Request a free cash offer, or see how we buy in Fort Worth and Dallas.

Want a cash offer instead?

We buy Texas houses as-is, pay all closing costs, and can close in 7–14 days.

Get my cash offer or call (817) 635-0743

Frequently asked questions

Does Dallas require registration for a rental house that is empty?

Dallas's rental program FAQ says a property that is not rented does not need to be registered and no annual fee is collected, but the owner must file an affidavit each year stating that fact. Call 214-671-RENT (7368) to ask how a short gap between leases is treated.

Do Fort Worth landlords have to register a single-family rental?

Fort Worth says registration is voluntary for one- and two-family rentals with no violations. It becomes mandatory for those with fire safety or public health and sanitation code violations, at $200 per unit each year. Out-of-state owners must name a local agent and an emergency contact.

Where is an eviction against a holdover tenant filed in Dallas or Tarrant County?

Property Code Sec. 24.004 gives jurisdiction to the justice court in the precinct where the property is located. Dallas County's justice courts post eviction information and forms on their own pages, and Tarrant County's Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 publishes an information packet on the unauthorized-occupant process.

What happens if Dallas County property taxes are paid late?

The Dallas County Tax Office warned that 2025 taxes not paid by January 31, 2026, would accrue an additional 7% of the balance in penalty and interest. State law keeps adding penalty and interest each month after that.

Sources

General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.