MASTER METERED UTILITIES.

Dallas City Code ch. 27, art. VI

in effect

Dallas City Code § 27-24 DEFINITIONS.

SEC. 27-24. DEFINITIONS. In this article: (1) MASTER METERED APARTMENT BUILDING means a building or group of buildings on a single premise containing three or more dwelling units that are leased to occupants who are provided one or more utility services for which they do not pay the utility company directly. (2) PROPERTY MANAGER means the person, firm, or corporation that collects or receives rental payments, or has responsibility for paying utility bills for a master metered apartment building. (3) UTILITY COMPANY means the entity providing gas, electric, or water and wastewater service to a master metered apartment building. (4) UTILITY INTERRUPTION means the termination of utility service to a master metered apartment building by a utility company for nonpayment of billed service. (Ord. Nos. 16232; 18591; 19234; 30236)

Dallas City Code § 27-25 RECORDS OF OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT MAINTAINED BY UTILITY COMPANIES.

SEC. 27-25. RECORDS OF OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT MAINTAINED BY UTILITY COMPANIES. (a) Before providing utility service to a new account at a master metered apartment building, a utility company shall obtain the names and addresses of: (1) the owner or owners of the building; (2) the property manager responsible for paying the utility bills; and (3) the first lienholder, if any. (b) The utility company shall maintain a record of the information obtained under Subsection (a) and shall make it available to the director upon request. (c) The applicant for utility service shall provide the information required in Subsection (a) to the utility company. (Ord. Nos. 16232; 18591; 19234)

Dallas City Code § 27-26 NOTICE TO TENANTS.

SEC. 27-26. NOTICE TO TENANTS. (a) The owner or property manager of a master metered apartment building shall post and maintain a notice in accordance with Subsection (b) containing the name, address, and telephone number of the person with authority and responsibility for making payment to the utility companies for utility bills. The owner or property manager shall correct the notice within 10 days of any change in the information given in the notice. (b) The notice must be posted in a conspicuous place in a common area of the master metered apartment building so that it is accessible to tenants at all times, easily readable, protected from the weather, and visible from the common area. For the purpose of this section a common area includes, but is not limited to, a common corridor or passageway, a laundry room, the area adjacent to a grouped mail box location, or an area adjacent to the manager’s office. (c) For the purpose of this section the notice may be placed on the inside of a glass door or window in the manager’s office or a tenant’s apartment so long as all requirements of Subsection (b) are met. (d) A person commits an offense if he knowingly removes or mutilates a posted notice required under Subsection (a). (e) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (d) if the person was authorized by the owner or property manager to replace the notice in order to correct the information. (Ord. Nos. 16232; 18591; 19234)

Dallas City Code § 27-27 NOTICE OF UTILITY INTERRUPTION.

SEC. 27-27. NOTICE OF UTILITY INTERRUPTION. (a) A utility company shall make a reasonable effort (including, but not limited to messenger delivery) to provide notice of a pending utility interruption to tenants of a master metered apartment building. (b) A person commits an offense if he knowingly: (1) interferes with an employee of a utility company posting notices of a utility interruption at dwelling units of a master metered apartment building; or (2) removes a notice of utility interruption posted at a dwelling unit of a master metered apartment building. (c) It is a defense to prosecution under Subsection (b)(2) that the person is the resident of the dwelling unit from which notice was removed. (d) A utility company shall notify the city attorney of any utility interruption to a master metered apartment dwelling unit resulting from a violation of Section 27-28 of this article. Notice must be given, in writing, not more than three days after utility service is interrupted. (e) A person who is responsible for bills received for electric utility service or gas utility service provided to an apartment, a leased or owner-occupied condominium, or one or more buildings containing at least 10 dwellings that receive electric utility service or gas utility service that is master metered but not submetered, shall comply with the notice requirements in Subchapter G of Chapter 92 of the Texas Property Code, as amended. (Ord. Nos. 16232; 18591; 19234; 25522; 30236)

Dallas City Code § 27-28 NONPAYMENT OF UTILITY BILLS - ESSENTIAL UTILITY SERVICE.

SEC. 27-28. NONPAYMENT OF UTILITY BILLS - ESSENTIAL UTILITY SERVICE. (a) The owner or property manager of a master metered apartment building commits an offense if he fails to pay a utility bill and the nonpayment results in the interruption to any dwelling unit of a utility service essential to the habitability of the dwelling unit and to the health of the occupants. Essential utility services are gas, electric, and water and wastewater services. (b) The owner or property manager of a master metered apartment building who violates Subsection (a) is guilty of a separate offense for each dwelling unit to which utility service is interrupted. (c) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the tenant occupying a dwelling unit to which utility service is interrupted is in arrears in rent to the owner or property manager of the master metered apartment building. (Ord. Nos. 18591; 19234; 25522)

Source: City of Dallas, Dallas City Code and City Charter (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/dallas/latest/dallas_tx/0-0-0-146127Fetched: 10/26/2026