Riverside County, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 15.04.250
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Max criminal fine
- $1,000, 6 months jail
- Cost recovery
- Lien / special tax assessment
- Immediate hazard power
- Building official can order vacate
Summary
Riverside County declares any substandard building in the unincorporated area a public nuisance and can order it vacated, abate it, and bill the owner for the cost.
Every substandard building or portion thereof as defined in Sections 17920.3 or 17920.10 of the California Health and Safety Code, as may be amended from time to time, located within the unincorporated areas of the County of Riverside ("county") which is caused, maintained or permitted to exist shall be and the same is hereby declared unlawful and a public nuisance that may be abated consistent with the procedures in this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Under County Code Section 15.04.250, a building meeting the state definition of "substandard" in Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3 or 17920.10 is automatically an unlawful public nuisance if it sits in unincorporated Riverside County. County inspectors can enter and photograph the property, and the building official can post an immediate "Order to Vacate" if the hazard is extreme. Abatement costs become a lien and special tax assessment against the property, and the County can also pursue an injunction through County Counsel.
Violations & Fines
Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail; each day of continued violation is a separate offense; abatement costs recorded as a lien/special assessment on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside the city of Riverside or Moreno Valley?
Can the County force me out of a substandard building?
Who pays for the abatement work?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California property maintenance overview
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