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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 13Pt. 1.5Ch. 5Art. 1§ 17961 Local Housing Code Enforcement

§ 17961 Local Housing Code Enforcement

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 17961 Local Housing Code Enforcement

Key Takeaways

  • •Local building or health departments must make sure apartments, hotels, and homes are safe and clean.
  • •They check things like cleanliness, air flow, and how the place is used.
  • •Different departments work together to avoid doing the same checks twice.
  • •If a child gets lead poisoning, the state health department can step in to help fix the problem.

Example

Your apartment has mold in the bathroom and the landlord won't fix it.

The local building or health department can make the landlord clean it up to keep you safe.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 17961 Local Housing Code Enforcement

(a) The housing or building department or, if there is no building department acting pursuant to this section, the health department of every city, county, or city and county, or any environmental agency authorized pursuant to Section 101275, shall enforce within its jurisdiction all of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and the other rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this part pertaining to the maintenance, sanitation, ventilation, use, or occupancy of apartment houses, hotels, or dwellings. The health department or the environmental agency may, in conjunction with a local housing or building department acting pursuant to this section, enforce within its jurisdiction all of this part, the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code, and the other rules and regulations adopted pursuant to this part pertaining to the maintenance, sanitation, ventilation, use, or occupancy of apartment houses, hotels, or dwellings. Each department and agency, as applicable, shall coordinate enforcement activities with each other and interested departments and agencies in order to avoid unnecessary duplication. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the health department of every city, county, or city and county, or any environmental agency authorized pursuant to Section 101275 may, in addition to the local building or housing department, if any, enforce within its jurisdiction the provisions of Section 17920.10 and shall coordinate enforcement activities with other interested departments and agencies in order to avoid unnecessary duplication. (c) The State Department of Public Health may enforce Section 17920.10 if any local agency or department specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) enters into a written agreement, approved and published pursuant to local government procedures, with the State Department of Public Health to enforce that section, or provides the State Department of Public Health with a written request to enforce that section for a specific case following the identification of a lead poisoned child in that jurisdiction. (Amended by Stats. 2013, Ch. 89, Sec. 3. (SB 488) Effective January 1, 2014.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

enforcementagreementenvironmentalhealthregulationjurisdictionkeeping apartmentsstate building standards

Related Statutes

  • § 17960 Building Code Enforcement
  • § 17964 Local Building Code Enforcement
  • § 17965 State Housing Enforcement Authority
  • § 17966 Local Fire Code Enforcement
  • § 18552 Mobilehome Accessory Building Standards

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 17961.
View Official Source