Legal – Houstonius

Starting January 1, 2026, real estate brokers in Texas are legally mandated to secure a written agreement before showing a residential property to a potential buyer. This regulation, established by the Texas Occupations Code, ensures that the relationship between the agent and the client is clearly defined prior to any tours. Depending on whether the broker is representing the individual or simply...

What are the key changes in the HUD memorandum? According to the provided sources, the HUD memorandum issued on May 22 introduces several shifts in how assistance animal accommodation requests are handled, even though the core legal framework remains the same. The key changes highlighted in the memorandum include: HUD Enforcement Interpretation: There is a change in how HUD interprets the enforcem...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development no longer requires landlords to waive pet policies for untrained emotional support animals. HUD has determined that requests to waive pet policies for animals trained to perform specific disability-related services are reasonable, but requests to waive pet policies for untrained ESAs are not. HUD no longer expects housing providers to extend acc...

Produced at the Poodle Ranch concerning emotional support animals, are landlords given exceptions under FHA rules, if the building only has 4 apartments Yes, under the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA), there is a specific exception that can apply to buildings with four or fewer units. This is commonly known as the "Mrs. Murphy Exemption." However, the exception only applies if certain criteria are m...