Shasta County Municipal Code Ch. 8.36 Residential Rental Facilities

The purpose of this chapter is to implement and supplement the provisions of the State Housing Law, Part 1.5 (commencing with Section 17910) of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code, and regulations and standards promulgated by the state, pertaining to the maintenance, sanitation, ventilation, use or occupancy of residential rental facilities. This chapter does not apply to apartment houses, or to mobile home parks, boarding homes, or group care facilities licensed and inspected by any agency of the state to ensure compliance with applicable maintenance, sanitation, ventilation, use and occupancy regulations and standards.

(Prior code § 3911)

The following words or terms are used and defined as follows for purposes of this chapter, unless the context in which any word or term is used requires another usage or meaning:

"Boardinghouse" means a building where lodging, or both meals and lodging, are provided for compensation and by prearrangement for a week or more at a time, for two or more persons. The term includes a guest house, roominghouse, or lodginghouse.

"Hotel" means a building or overnight lodging, without individual cooking facilities, offered to the public for compensation, primarily for the accommodation of transient guests.

"Motel" means a building or group of buildings for overnight lodging, with or without individual cooking facilities, offered to the public for compensation, primarily for the accommodation of transient guests traveling by automobile, and in which each sleeping unit is independently accessible to the outside. The term includes any building or group of buildings designated as an auto court, motor lodge, tourist court or by any other sign or designation intended to identify the buildings as catering to the lodging needs of motorists.

"Residential rental facility" means a boardinghouse, hotel or motel.

(Prior code § 3912)

No residential rental facility shall be occupied or used for human habitation in any manner unless and until a valid permit to operate has been issued by the health officer to the owner or operator of the facility.

(Prior code § 3913)

A. An application for a permit to operate shall be filed with the department of public health on forms approved by the health officer and shall include the information required by the health officer, including but not limited to the name and mailing address of the owner of the real property, the location and address of the building, the nature of the use and occupancy of the building, the number of dwelling units, apartments or guest rooms in the building, and the name and mailing address of the operator of the building, if different from that of the owner.

B. No application shall be accepted as complete unless and until any required fee, as set by resolution of the board of supervisors is paid.

(Prior code § 3914)

A. A permit to operate is valid for one calendar year from the date of its issuance and for the use and occupancy for which it is issued.

B. A new permit to operate shall be obtained prior to expiration of any previously issued permit to operate for the facility, or, in case of a change of ownership of the facility, within thirty days after the change of ownership occurs, or, in case of a change of occupancy classification of a facility or portion of it, within thirty days after that change occurs.

C. Every permit to operate shall be displayed on the premises of the facility for which it is issued in a conspicuous place so that it may readily be seen by the health officer. However, a permit to operate shall not be displayed within any dwelling unit or guest room on the premises, unless the room is not used for human occupancy or habitation.

(Prior code § 3915)

A. The health officer and his designees shall enforce the provisions of this chapter and related provisions of the State Housing Law, and regulations and standards promulgated to implement it, that pertain to residential rental facilities.

B. The procedures established by Sections 16.04.050 and 16.04.060 apply to administrative actions taken under authority of subsection A of this section, but the availability of those procedures shall not preclude the use of any other remedy available under state or county law.

C. Whenever the condition or circumstances of any residential rental facility immediately affects public health or safety, the health officer may ask the building official of the jurisdiction in which the facility is located to revoke the certificate of occupancy for the facility.

(Prior code § 3916)

A. Nothing in this section or Section 8.36.060 shall be construed to conflict with the provisions of Article 3 (commencing with section 17980) of Chapter 5 and Chapter 6 (commencing with section 17995) of Part 1.5 of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code.

B. Nothing in this chapter precludes the use of nuisance abatement or any other remedy against any substandard, unsafe or unsanitary housing of any kind, or the recovery of costs of abatement, including but not limited to the costs of any inspection or investigation done or caused to be done by the health officer.

(Prior code § 3918)

It is a violation of this chapter to do any of the following:

A. Operate, or cause or permit to be operated, for human occupancy or habitation any residential rental facility without a valid permit to operate, as required by Section 8.36.030;

B. Submit false or misleading information in the application for a permit to operate submitted pursuant to Section 8.36.030;

C. Fail to display a permit to operate, as required by Section 8.36.050;

D. Fail to permit inspection of the premises, pursuant to Article 2 (commencing with section 17970) of the State Housing Law;

E. Fail to comply with any applicable provision of the State Housing Law, or any regulation or standard promulgated to implement that law;

F. Fail to comply with any directive of the health officer made to enforce any applicable provision of the State Housing Law or any regulation or standard promulgated to implement that law.

(Prior code § 3917)

If a city within the county establishes either a housing department or a health department, the provisions of this chapter shall immediately be inoperative as to that city and as to all residential rental facilities within that city.

(Prior code § 3919)