On December 18, 2008 in response to continuous complaints from residents about serious life, health, and safety violations in rental housing units throughout the County, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the Rental Housing Registration and Inspection Ordinance and requires mandatory participation for rental properties within the County. The purpose of this code is to proactively identify blighted and deteriorated rental properties and ensure the rehabilitation or elimination of housing failing to meet minimum Building, Housing, and exterior site maintenance standards and codes. The purpose of this program is to ensure that residents of rental units are afforded habitable, safe, and sanitary housing.
To promote and maintain a high quality of life where people live and work.
Contact Code Enforcement Phone: 916-874-6444 FAX: 916-874-8409
Contact Rental Housing Phone: 916-876-9020 Fax: 916-874-2957 E-mail: RHIP@saccounty.gov
To File a Complaint about Housing or Other Neighborhood Concerns: Call 311
Code Enforcement Division 10481 Armstrong Ave, Suite 110 Mather, CA 95655 code-enforcement.saccounty.gov
What are the Landlord/Property Owners’ responsibilities?
Property Owners/Landlords, in cooperation with tenants, are required to maintain safe, habitable, healthy, and sanitary housing. They are responsible for completing normal repairs and maintenance requests in a timely manner. They are also required to make immediate repairs of specific California Health and Safety Code, Building Code, and/or Sacramento County Code violations that may be dangerous, unsanitary and/or harmful to their tenants or the general public.
What are the tenant’s responsibilities?
In general, tenants are required to maintain their units in a clean and sanitary condition, to inform the property owner/landlord/manager in a timely manner of any condition that may cause damage, health, or safety issues to their unit or the surrounding units or area. Tenants must also allow the owner or his/her designee(s) access to the unit to make repairs as required by law.
Specifically, Sacramento County Code section 16.20.125 states:
An occupant of a dwelling unit shall not willfully:
1. Allow that part of the dwelling unit which he occupies and controls to become or remain in an unsafe or unsanitary condition;
2. Allow plumbing and other fixtures, whether or not supplied by the owner, to become or remain in an unsafe or unsanitary condition. If the fixtures are supplied by the owner, the occupant shall use reasonable care in the proper use and operation thereof;
3. Allow any insects, rodents or other pests to infest the dwelling unit, so as to render it unsafe or unsanitary, when no other dwelling unit in the residential building is so infested, and the owner has provided a reasonably insect-proof and rodent-proof building;
4. Dispose of garbage or other refuse in other than an approved garbage receptacle. When approved garbage receptacles are not provided by the owner, it is the responsibility of the occupant to provide approved garbage receptacles;
5. Place on the premises any material which creates an unsafe or unsanitary condition;
6. Place or maintain in or about the premises any furniture, equipment, material, debris or junk harboring insects, rodents or pests to such extent as to render the premises or surrounding dwelling units unsafe or unsanitary;
7. Permit any dwelling unit let to him to be occupied so that any occupancy or use resulting there from violates any of the provisions of this chapter (code).
Can tenants be held responsible for violations?
Be aware that tenants who violate the provisions of this code or have created the unsafe or unsanitary conditions may be cited for the violations.
Are any units exempt from RHIP?
Yes. Properties that are less than five years old or units that are regularly inspected by other government agencies such as the Housing Choice Voucher Program or Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. However, if complaints are received they may be inspected under RHIP.
Can the tenant contact the County to schedule an inspection?
If you have contacted the owner/manager, and they have failed to make repairs then you may file a complaint through the Complaint Intake Center at 311 and a Code Enforcement Officer may conduct an inspection separate from the Rental Housing Inspection Program.
If I am under eviction or have not paid rent for a month or more, should I still report violations that have not been resolved?
You may report any housing related issues at your dwelling at any time. Understand that the Inspector will consider all circumstances surrounding the complaint when making a determination of the extent of the violations and a timeline to for repairs.
Who will notify the tenants of scheduled inspections?
The owner is required to notify the tenants at least 24 hours prior to the inspection. The County, at its discretion, may choose to notify tenants sooner.
How long will the inspection take?
Approximately 15 minutes per unit but may take longer if conditions warrant a more thorough inspection.
For more information you can view the following brochures or contact the Rental Housing Inspection Program.
Problem Property Fact Sheet FAQs for Property Owners