Pursuant to section 16.20.900 of the City of
Sacramento Housing Code, rental housing property shall be subject to
inspection…
If you’re a landlord or investment property
owner in Sacramento city, county, or even surrounding counties, you very well
might have received a letter starting like this recently. In fact, rental
housing programs are a vital tool to ensure that landlords maintain safe,
clean, and livable standards for tenants who pay good money to occupy these
properties. Conversely, the rental housing inspection is valuable for landlords
and owners, who get to make sure the tenants are keeping their property in good
condition and following all housing and community regulations.
From the Rental Housing Inspection Program
web page for the City of Sacramento:
“The purpose of the Rental Housing
Inspection Program is to address the issue of substandard rental properties,
promote greater compliance with health and safety standards and preserve the
quality of Sacramento’s neighborhoods and available housing. The program
achieves compliance of health, safety and welfare code violations in/on
residential rental properties that are a threat to the occupant's safety,
structural integrity of the building, and a negative impact on the surrounding
neighborhoods.”
While there is some expense and effort
required of the landlord, the inconvenience should be minimal.
I’ll base this on Sacramento city’s program
and then give links for Sacramento County and surrounding areas, too.
1) Property
owner registers their rental unit with the city program.
This is done with a quick rental housing
registration form that confirms the mailing address, how many units are on the
property, etc. Registration packets will be mailed to property owners but it’s
up to the property owner to proactively register in case they did not get one.
2) Pay
the program fee.
To register with the Rental Housing
Inspection Program there is a $16 fee. For the actual unit inspection, there is
a $127 fee for each unit ($254 for a duplex, etc.)
3) An
inspection will be scheduled.
Notices of scheduled inspections are sent
to the owner with at least two weeks notice until the appointed times, but
usually more. The appointment will have a date and time of the inspection. A
separate appointment letter will be sent to the tenant, along with a consent
form for them to allow entry if they cannot be present at that time.
4) The unit will be inspected.
5) Inspection findings will be reported.
6) Based on the findings, the tenant and
landlord need to bring the property in compliance.
If the inspector finds items that need to
be addressed or fixed, the owner will have 30 days from the initial inspection.
Failure to do so will result in additional fees, as well as missed appointments
or appointments rescheduled outside of a 7-day window. The city will come out
to re-inspect the property to make sure the necessary items were
fixed/addressed properly.
7) Enrollment in the Self-Certification
Program for future inspections.
If no violations were found on the property
at the time of the inspection, or they were subsequently corrected, the
inspector will issue an approval and the property will “graduate” to the
Self-Certification Program.
8) Going forward.
The Self-Certification Program allows
owners to perform their own inspections each calendar year (or upon change of
tenant), instead of scheduling a city inspector. Property will fill out the
same inspection checklist and submit it to the city, and retain for their
records.
The city will randomly inspect units
enrolled in the Self-Certification Program (about 10% of those units are still
inspected) to make sure property owners are actually in compliance and doing
the work.
As long as no violations or issues are
found, the property can remain in the Self-Certification program.
Some
common questions about Sacramento’s Rental Housing Inspection Program:
Is it mandatory for property owners to
register in the Rental Housing Inspection Program and pay the fees?
Yes. Failure to do so is a violation of
city statutes and code enforcement will be notified.
Are there any exemptions to the program?
If rental properties are regularly
inspected by another agency or the housing unit is less than five years old,
property owners may file for an exemption.
What if property owners live out of the
area or out of state?
If it is not feasible for a non-local
property owner to attend the scheduled rental inspection, they can assign a
Local Contact Representative to let the inspector in and be present the day and
time it is scheduled. This can be a friend, real estate agent, property
manager, or relative. As long as they are listed on the registration form and
their contact information and signature are valid
What are the most common violations?
According to the City of Sacramento Code
Enforcement Department, the ten most common violations are:
1)
Lack of working smoke detectors
2)
Faulty electrical service or panel
3)
Not having GFCIs in the bathroom
4)
Lack of weather protection on the roof
5)
Front door that does not have door viewer
(peephole)
6)
Water heater installed improperly
7)
Improper roof venting
8)
Unapproved plumbing
9)
Hazardous wiring
10) Inadequate permanent heating
Where do I get more information about the
Rental Housing Inspection Program or contact the city?
CONTACT US
Phone: (916) 808-7368
Fax: (916) 288-9955
NOTE:
For appointment changes, rescheduling, etc.
or for urgent matters please contact us by phone as e-mail replies are subject
to delay.
We’ve also attached some common forms that
you will need if you’d like to get started. Or even if you are not in the city
or a county that requires these inspections, you might want to proactively
inspect your own units with this checklist.
Sacramento County has its own program,
pursuant to Sacramento County Code 16.20.900. While the basis is the same, there
are some fundamental differences to registration, fees, the self-certification
program, and inspections.
You can find out more here:
or contact the appropriate county office
at:
916-876-9020 phone / 916-874-8409 fax
9700 Goethe Rd. Suite A, Sacramento, CA
95827
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Email us if you'd like a copy of all the relevant forms you need to go through the rental property inspection process.
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Email us if you'd like a copy of all the relevant forms you need to go through the rental property inspection process.
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