A Home Away From Home
Boarding Home Detail
About Us
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
