Rockwall County, Texas – The Forney City Council will talk about a proposed change to the city’s rental registration requirements again at its meeting on February 3. This is after they discussed about it before and put it on hold for more review. The subject is back on the agenda after council members urged city officials to look more closely at how the program works and how its costs are set. It was first brought up late last year.
The plan is primarily about changing Chapter 3 of the city’s Code of Ordinances, which is the part which addresses how to register and inspect both single-family and multifamily rental units. City officials said the changes are meant to make definitions clearer, change the deadlines for registration and certificate expiration, and bring the rental program’s administrative steps up to date.
The council first addressed this issue during their meeting on December 2, 2025, when they asked for a review of the program’s expenditures and processes. A single-family rental property has to pay $300 a year to register, while a multifamily apartment has to pay $15 per unit. The payments cover the paperwork, an initial inspection, and the issuing of a Residential Rental Certificate of Occupancy. Late registrations and follow-up inspections cost more.
City administration has pointed out that city fees must be directly related to the cost of providing a service. Fees can’t be set up to make more money than is needed or to make a profit, according to the legislation. Instead, they must remain proportional and regulatory in nature. Officials say the proposed code meets those requirements and will still help enforce standards for property management, health, safety, and zoning.
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The rental registration law was originally passed in April 2020 and last changed in March 2024. City records say that the modifications made this time are based on what was learnt from the last updates and what council members said.
At the meeting on January 6, the subject was officially put on hold so that more information could be gathered. When the ordinance comes back for discussion and eventual approval, city administration is expected to give further information about the budget.
