We will inspect your rented home at no charge to you if you feel it is substandard. But you must first have done the following:
- Written your landlord or property manager a letter informing him of the problem and allowing a reasonable amount of time for him to fix it.
- Be current on your rent, or have an escrow, trust or savings account open holding your rent if you are withholding it.
The following are common home defects:
-
Bathrooms must have a window or an exhaust fan
-
Ceiling height of less than 7’6” in habitable rooms. Ceiling height of less than 7’ in kitchens, halls and bathrooms (habitable attics or sloped ceiling rooms must have at least 50% of the ceiling area no less than 7’6”
-
Dampness in habitable rooms
-
Doors, jammed shut, inoperable or not weatherproof
-
Electrical connections that are bare or exposed (not in a closed box)
-
Failed or failing septic system
-
Flooring, deteriorated
-
General dilapidation
-
Heat; lack of permanent heat source in living areas that can maintain a temperature of 70º F at 3' off the floor
-
Holes in the walls
-
Insect damage to the house structural members
-
Insect or vermin infestation
-
Kitchen, lack of
-
Lack of properly functioning toilet
-
Leaking natural or propane gas
-
Oversized circuit breakers (causing blowing of appliances or burning/melting of wires)
-
Rooms that are too small
-
Smoke detectors, none in habitable areas
-
Water damaged flooring that compromises the floor
-
Window, in the bedroom too high to provide a means of escape (if there is no other secondary escape)
-
Windows, broken glazing, inoperable or not weatherproof
Tenant Tips :
-
Before signing a lease, read it carefully to find out if there penalties for early termination.
-
If you are renting month to month, make sure you sign some sort of rental agreement that explains the eviction and late payment policy.
-
If you are paying a cleaning deposit, find out what “clean” means and what it takes and doesn’t take to get your deposit back, and when you should expect to receive it.
-
Pay your rent on time.
-
Don’t wait until you are evicted to call the county to complain about substandard living conditions. If you call us first, you cannot be evicted in retaliation.
-
Make sure you give adequate notice that you are terminating occupancy or you may not get all of your rental deposit back.
-
Treat the rental property like it was your own house, and your landlord will appreciate you.
-
Be a good neighbor. Control the noise, parking and outdoor storage.
(back to top)
Neighborhood Preservation is a code enforcement program that is designed to develop community/government partnerships in maintaining community and zoning standards, promoting proactive solutions to eyesores such as outdoor storage and dilapidated buildings, developing public education opportunities, and maintaining property values. Working with multiple agencies including law enforcement and public works, the planning department has successful programs running in the communities of Shandon, San Miguel, Oceano, Nipomo and Los Osos.
It’s main goal it to lower the threshold of neighborhood acceptance of code violations, and to encourage to report dangerous or unsightly conditions as well as being aware of what the zoning laws are.
Our proactive enforcement effort in these communities have resulted in safer, cleaner neighborhoods in which the constituents are more likely to report suspicious activity to law enforcement and help in the patrolling of their community.
(back to top)
The main focus of our program is to prevent the illegal removal and usually permanent loss of native and protected natural resources. The majority of these types of violations are in the area of unauthorized grading, where runoff, creek siltation, habitat loss and flora and fauna takings regularly occur. We take a dim view of these types of violations, and seek prosecution of all responsible parties.
Our unit is part of the San Luis Obispo Environmental Enforcement Group and the San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara Federal Environmental Task Force.
(back to top)
As part of Neighborhood Preservation, Community Cleanups are important in developing community “buy-in” to the program. We act as facilitators in these cleanups, and assist the community develop its own fundraising, budget, committees and scope of work. The results have always been astounding. In the past 5 years, these cleanups have removed several hundred junk cars, many thousands of tons of scrap metal and an equal amount of furniture and garbage from neighborhoods.
Equally as important, they have brought neighbors together, working hand-in-hand to clean up their own community, an important factor in jump starting the follow up – intense proactive code enforcement and reporting of nuisances.
HAZARD TREE PROGRAM
We identify hazardous trees in our urban forests, inspect them and recommend removal or maintenance.