Long Beach Municipal Code Ch. 18.45 Housing Code

The City Council adopts and incorporates by reference as though set forth in full in this chapter the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Housing Code (herein referred to as the "Uniform Housing Code"). Adoption and enforcement of the Uniform Housing Code is mandated through the State Housing Law pursuant to Section 17960, Part 1.5, Division 13, of the California Health and Safety Code. Section 17922 of the California Health and Safety Code requires the adoption of the latest edition of the Uniform Housing Code. The Uniform Housing Code was adopted by the California Department of Housing and Community Development as provided for in Section 32, Article 5, Subchapter 1, Division 1, of Title 25 of the California Code of Regulations. The provisions of the Uniform Housing Code were developed by the International Conference of Building Official. The following chapters of the Uniform Housing Code are deleted: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

The adoption of the Uniform Housing Code is subject to the changes, amendments and modifications to said code as provided in this chapter, and certain provisions of the Long Beach Municipal Code, which shall remain in full force and effect as provided in this title. Such codes and code provisions shall constitute and be known as the Long Beach Housing Code. A copy of the Uniform Housing Code, printed as code in book form, shall be on file in the Office of the City Clerk.

(ORD-25-0019 § 1(Exh. A), 2025; ORD-22-0033 § 1(Exh. A), 2022; ORD-19-0031 § 1(Exh. A), 2019; ORD-16-0026 § 1(Exh. A), 2016)

The provisions of the Uniform Housing Code are applicable to all occupancy groups and uses intended for human habitation.

(ORD-25-0019 § 1(Exh. A), 2025; ORD-22-0033 § 1(Exh. A), 2022; ORD-19-0031 § 1(Exh. A), 2019; ORD-16-0026 § 1(Exh. A), 2016)

Chapter 17 is added to the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Housing Code to read as follows:

Chapter 17 PROHIBITED USES AND MAINTENANCE

SECTION 1701—PROHIBITED USES

A. Cooking. It shall be unlawful for any person to cook or prepare food or to permit another person to cook or prepare food in any bath, shower, slop sink, toilet room, water closet compartment, any room not designed and intended to be used as a kitchen, or in any other portion of a building in which the cooking or preparation of food is detrimental to the health of the occupants or the proper sanitation of the building.

B. Sleeping. It shall be unlawful for any person to use or to permit another person to use any of the following portions of a building for sleeping purposes:

1. Kitchen, hallway, water closet, bath, cellar, shower compartment or slop sink room.

2. Any other room or place which does not comply with the provisions of this code as a sleeping room or in which sleeping is dangerous to life or health.

SECTION 1702—MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR

A. Maintenance. Every building shall be maintained in good repair.

B. Roof. The roof of every building shall be kept watertight and all storm or casual water shall be properly drained and conveyed from the roof to a storm drain or street gutter in accordance with other applicable provisions of this chapter.

C. Drainage. All portions of a lot about a building, including the yards, areaways, vent shafts, court and passageways, shall be graded and drained to efficiently carry the water away from the building.

D. Surfacing. If the Building Official finds it necessary for the protection of the health and safety of the occupants, or for the proper sanitation of a dwelling, apartment house or hotel, it may require that the yards, areaways, vent shafts, court, passageways, or other parts of the lot surrounding the building be graveled, or properly paved and surfaced with concrete, asphalt or similar materials.

E. Painting of room walls and ceilings. The walls and ceilings of every room in a dwelling, apartment house or hotel shall be finished, sealed, coated or covered in an approved manner. Approved materials shall be applied as often as may be necessary to maintain the walls and ceilings in a clean and sanitary condition.

F. Painting of court and shaft walls. Unless built of light-colored materials, the walls of courts and shafts shall be painted in a light color, or shall be whitewashed. The paint or whitewash shall be applied as often as may be necessary to maintain the walls in a light color.

G. Wallpaper. Not more than two (2) thicknesses of wallpaper shall be placed upon any wall, partition, or ceiling of any room in any dwelling, apartment house or hotel. If any wall, partition, or ceiling with two (2) thicknesses of wallpaper in any such room is to be repapered, the old wallpaper shall first be removed. Any wallpaper which has become loose or dilapidated shall be removed and the surface repapered, calcimined or painted.

H. Painting of wallpaper. Paint or calcimine over wallpaper is permissible if the plaster under the wallpaper is in good condition.

I. Screening. Whenever necessary for the health of the occupants, or for the proper sanitation or cleanliness of any building, acceptable mosquito screening shall be provided for each exterior door, window, or other opening in the exterior walls of the buildings.

J. Garbage receptacle compartment. Every residential building shall be provided with facilities adequate for the storing of all garbage and waste, either within an approved compartment or receptacles. These facilities shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

K. Fences. All fences shall be maintained in good repair and shall be kept straight, uniform and structurally sound. Wooden fences shall be either painted or stained or otherwise treated or sealed in an approved manner to prevent their becoming a nuisance from weathering or deterioration.

L. Sanitation. Each room, hallway, passageway, stairway, wall, partition, ceiling, floor, skylight, glass window, door carpet, rug, matting, window curtain, water closet, compartment, or room, toilet room, bathroom, slop sink room, washroom, plumbing fixtures, drain, roof, closet, cellar, basement, yard, court, lot and the premises of every building shall be kept in every part clean, sanitary, and free from all accumulation of debris, abandoned or inoperable motor vehicles and vehicle parts, filth, rubbish, garbage, rodents, insects and other vermin, excessive vegetation and other offensive matter.

M. Dangerous articles. No article that is dangerous or detrimental to life or to the health of the occupants, including any feed, hay, straw, excelsior, cotton, paper stock, rags, junk, or any other material that may create a fire hazard, shall be kept, stored or handled in any part of a dwelling, apartment house or hotel, or on the lot on which such building is located.

N. Caretaker. A janitor, housekeeper, or other responsible person shall reside upon the premises and shall have charge of every apartment house in which there are sixteen (16) or more apartments, of every hotel in which there are twelve (12) or more guest rooms, unless the owner of any such apartment house or hotel resides upon said premises. If the owner does not reside upon the premises of any apartment house in which there are more than four (4) but less than sixteen (16) apartments, a notice stating the owner's name and address or the name and address of his or her agent in charge of the apartment house shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises.

O. Bedding. In every apartment house or hotel, every part of every bed, including mattress, sheets, blankets, and bedding, shall be kept in a clean, dry and sanitary condition, free from filth, urine or other foul matters, and from the infection of lice, bedbugs or other insects. The bed linen of a bed in a hotel shall be changed at least as often as a new guest occupies the bed.

(ORD-25-0019 § 1(Exh. A), 2025; ORD-22-0033 § 1(Exh. A), 2022; ORD-19-0031 § 1(Exh. A), 2019; ORD-16-0026 § 1(Exh. A), 2016)