From the curb, a licensed assisted living home and a shared house with four roommates can look the same. Both are ordinary houses on ordinary streets. Inside, they are allowed to do very different things, and for someone who needs help with medications, bathing or getting dressed, that difference decides whether the home is a safe fit.
The short answer
Under Texas law, a home that provides food and shelter to four or more unrelated people and also provides personal care services or administers medications must be licensed as an assisted living facility. A shared or independent living home that only provides housing doesn't need that license, but it also can't provide hands-on care.
You can check any assisted living license in the Texas Health and Human Services Long-Term Care Provider Search. Some cities and counties, including Houston, separately require permits for boarding homes.
Three kinds of homes that often get confused
Shared or independent living housing
This is housing, not care. Residents rent a room, share common areas and manage their own lives. The provider may set house rules, keep the home clean and safe, and connect residents to outside services. Residents who need personal care get it from outside agencies or family, not from the house.
Boarding homes
Texas lets cities and counties require permits for boarding homes, which generally provide lodging and sometimes meals to people with disabilities or older adults. In Houston, the city's residential facilities program requires a boarding home permit when three or more unrelated residents who are disabled or elderly live in the home, and a lodging facility permit for some other homes with three or more unrelated residents. A boarding home permit is not a care license.
Licensed assisted living facilities
These are licensed and inspected by Texas HHS. They can provide personal care, meaning help with activities like bathing, dressing, eating and moving around, as well as medication administration. Texas licenses them as Type A, for residents who can evacuate on their own and generally don't need overnight care, or Type B, for residents who may need help evacuating or need care at night.
| What the home does | Shared or independent living | Licensed assisted living |
|---|---|---|
| Provides a room and shared spaces | Yes | Yes |
| Sets house rules and checks in on residents | Usually | Yes |
| Helps with bathing, dressing or eating | No, unless an outside agency provides it | Yes |
| Gives residents their medications | No. Residents manage their own | Yes, under state rules |
| Inspected by Texas HHS | No (local permits may apply) | Yes |
How to check whether a home is licensed
Search the home's name or address in the Texas HHS Long-Term Care Provider Search. Licensed assisted living facilities appear there with their license type and status. If a home tells you it provides personal care to four or more residents and you can't find it, ask for its license number and search that.
In Houston, you can also ask the operator for their boarding home or lodging facility permit, or contact the Houston Permitting Center. Outside Houston, the city or county where the home sits can tell you whether a local permit applies.
Questions to ask on a visit
The answers tell you what the home really is, whatever it calls itself.
- Who will help with medications? Does staff hand them out, or do residents keep and take their own?
- If my family member needs help bathing or dressing, who provides it?
- Is someone awake in the home overnight?
- What happens if a resident's needs increase?
- Can I see your license or local permit?
An honest shared housing provider will tell you plainly that they don't provide hands-on care and will explain how residents get outside help. That is a perfectly good answer for someone who can manage their own medications and daily care. It is a warning sign only when the home promises care it isn't licensed to give.
The right home is the one whose license, or lack of one, matches what your family member actually needs.
Choosing the right level for your family member
Many adults with a mental health condition or IDD live well in shared or independent housing, especially with outside supports like a case manager, a day program or a home health agency. Others need daily hands-on help, and a licensed setting protects them. Our guide to levels of housing structure and support walks through how to think about fit. For family-specific situations, see housing for an adult family member with mental illness and IDD housing when parents age.
If something seems wrong
If you believe a home is providing care without a license, or a resident is being harmed, you have options in Texas:
- Complaints about licensed facilities or suspected unlicensed care: Texas HHS complaint and incident intake, 1-800-458-9858.
- Abuse, neglect or exploitation of an adult with a disability or an older adult: the Texas Abuse Hotline, 1-800-252-5400, or txabusehotline.org.
- Unpermitted boarding homes in Houston: call 311.
- Immediate danger: call 911.
Not sure what level of housing fits?
Tell us about the person's daily needs, income and preferred area. We'll look for homes in our network that may fit, and we'll be clear about which ones provide housing only. Ready Rooms is a housing navigation service, not a licensed care provider.
Prefer to talk it through? Call or text (281) 949-8064.
Questions families ask
What is a personal care home in Texas?
People often use "personal care home" for a small home that helps residents with daily activities. Under Texas law, if the home serves four or more unrelated residents and provides personal care services or medication administration, it must be licensed as an assisted living facility.
Can a shared housing provider remind residents to take their medications?
Rules on medication help are specific. Generally, a home that is not licensed should not administer medications. Ask the provider exactly what they do, and if your family member needs medication administration, look for a licensed setting or an outside licensed provider.
How do I find licensed assisted living in Texas?
Use the Texas HHS Long-Term Care Provider Search and filter by assisted living facilities and your county. Each listing shows the license type and status.
Does a group home for adults with IDD need a license?
It depends on what the home provides and how it is funded. Homes providing personal care to four or more unrelated residents need an assisted living license, and homes in certain state IDD programs follow separate program rules. Ask the operator which license or certification applies.
Sources
- Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 247: Assisted Living Facilities (definitions, 247.002)
- Texas HHS: Assisted Living Facilities (ALF)
- Texas HHS: Long-Term Care Provider Search
- Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 260: Boarding Home Facilities
- Houston Permitting Center: Residential Facilities (boarding homes and lodging facilities)
- Texas Abuse Hotline (DFPS)
Ready Rooms provides housing navigation and referral. Ready Rooms is not a licensed assisted living, health care or clinical services provider. This article is general information, not legal advice. Licensing rules can change; confirm current requirements with Texas HHS and your local permitting office.