A Home Away From Home

Boarding Home Detail

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Boarding Home Regulations for Unincorporated Harris County, TX

The Harris County Sheriff's Office started a Boarding Home Detail to regulate boarding homes in unincorporated Harris County. These regulations were implemented to establish reasonable and uniform regulations to promote and protect the health, safety, and general welfare of the residents. Specifically, the Boarding Home Detail works to protect residents from abuse, neglect, exploitation, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, and other criminal or unethical behaviors.

The Boarding Home Detail will process, issue, investigate, suspend, revoke and/or deny boarding home permits in accordance with the boarding home regulations for unincorporated Harris County.

Many boarding homes are well run. Others, unfortunately, are not, and thus the need for an enforcement detail.

Legal

What is a Boarding Home?

Definition

Chapter 260 of the Texas Health & Safety Code defines boarding homes as an establishment that furnishes, in one or more buildings, lodging to three or more persons with disabilities or elderly persons who are unrelated to the owner by blood or marriage; and provides residents with community meals, light housework, meal preparation, transportation, grocery shopping, money management, laundry services, or assistance with self-administration of medication but does not provide personal care services to those persons.

Permits

Effective March 1, 2021, all boarding homes operating in Unincorporated Harris County must be permitted in accordance with Chapter 260 of the Texas Health & Safety Code.

Obtaining a Permit

Go to: www.harriscountyso.org. Scroll to the bottom of the page to "General Information and Services." Arrow to the section on the Boarding Home Detail. Select this section and you will be taken to a page with information on the permitting process and a link to an online application.

Permitted Boarding Homes

You may see a list of permitted boarding homes for unincorporated Harris County by clicking on the link below:

Microsoft Word - Permitted Homes Website Doc.docx (harriscountyso.org)

Information

Required Documents

Fire Inspection Report

Current report Issued by the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office

Maximum Occupancy Load

Certificate issued by the Harris County Fire Marshal's Office

Certificate of Compliance

Current certificate ssued by the Harris County Engineer's Office

Boarding Home Name

Boarding home name or DBA filed with the Harris County Clerk's Office

Identification

Color copy of applicant & employee TDL or government ID

Proof of Permit Application

Proof that ALL owners and/or employees have applied for Class 2 permit

Lease Agreement

Copy of current valid lease agreement between the applicant and the owner of the real property

Fee

Non-refundable application fee is required

Information

Regulations & Permits

Boarding Home Regulations for Unincorporated Harris County, Texas
Boarding Home Permit Fee Schedule for Unincorporated Harris County, Texas
Information on the Permitting and Inspection Process for Boarding Homes
Apply for a Class 2 Permit in Unincorporated Harris County, Texas
Apply for a Class 1 Permit in Unincorporated Harris County, Texas