By using transition-metal (TM) complex cationic dyes as structure-directing agents and photosensitizers, a series of inorganic-organic hybrid metal halides, namely, [TM(2,2'-bipy)3]AgPb2I7 [TM = Ni (1), Co (2) and Zn (3)], [Co(2,2'-bipy)3]CuPb2Br7 (4) and [TM(2,2'-bipy)3]AgPb2Br7 [TM = Ni (5) and Fe (6)], have been solvothermally prepared and structurally characterized. Compounds 1-3 feature 1D [AgPb2I7]2- chains built from the condensation of [Ag2I6] dimers and [Pb4I14] tetramers, and compounds 4, 5 and 6 contain similar 1D [CuPb2Br7]2- and [AgPb2Br7]2- chains, respectively. UV-Vis diffuse reflectance measurements reveal narrow band gaps of 1.75-2.18 eV for compounds 1-6, which lead to efficient and stable photocatalytic degradation activities over organic pollutants under visible light irradiation. Among the title compounds, sample 5 shows the highest photocatalytic degradation activity. The possible mechanism for their stable photocatalytic activities is proposed based on the experimental and theoretical studies.