Houston City Council Member Alejandra Salinas introduced a “Right to Air Conditioning” ordinance on Monday, July 13, 2026. The proposed measure would require rental properties to provide and maintain operable air conditioning in all habitable spaces, addressing a gap in current city regulations that has left thousands of renters vulnerable during extreme heat.

The ordinance would close a loophole in Houston’s Building Standards Code that currently allows landlords to opt out of providing air conditioning if window screens are installed. Under the proposal, compliance could be achieved through central air, window units, portable units, or other refrigerated air equipment. The measure would not mandate older buildings to retrofit for central air systems.

Salinas is joined by co-sponsors Council Members Sallie Alcorn, Mario Castillo, and Edward Pollard. The Houston Apartment Association has expressed support for the ordinance, as have Texas Housers, the Houston Food Bank, and the Houston Tenants Union. Supporters cited an affordability review by the Austin Housing Department that found a similar air conditioning requirement had a neutral impact on affordable housing and development costs. They also noted that no documented rent increases have been linked to comparable mandates in Dallas, Denton, or Austin.

“In a Houston summer, working A/C cannot continue to be a luxury,” Salinas said. “Extreme heat disproportionately impacts Black and Latino neighborhoods, and no tenant should be left without reliable cooling,” she added. Salinas also stated, “This ordinance makes working air conditioning a basic health and safety standard because every Houston renter deserves a safe place to live.”

Why It Matters

2023 U.S. Census data show thousands of renters in the Houston area live in units without any air conditioning. Harris County Public Health reported more than 7,600 cases of heat-related illness between 2019 and 2023 and found that indoor spaces without air conditioning significantly increased the risk of such health issues. Houston Health Department data further indicate that heat waves have driven increases in 911 calls and hospitalizations, underscoring the public health stakes of the proposed ordinance.