Santa Clarita, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Chapter 23.30, Public Nuisances
- Substandard building test
- Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3
- Compliance order first
- Required before citation, Section 23.20.100
- Admin review deadline
- 20 days to request review
- Lien trigger
- Fines delinquent more than 90 days
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Santa Clarita's public nuisance ordinance makes a dilapidated, partially destroyed, or substandard building a code violation regardless of what caused it. Municipal Code Section 23.30.040 designates boarded-up or deteriorating structures, defective building exteriors, and any building maintained as a Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3 substandard building as public nuisances the City Manager can order abated by repair, demolition, or a court-enforced order.
It is unlawful and it is declared to be a public nuisance for any responsible person or hosting platform to allow, cause, commit, or maintain any property within the City in such a manner that any of the conditions listed below are found to exist. ... C. Any building or structure which is partially destroyed, damaged, abandoned, boarded up, dilapidated, or permitted to remain in a state of partial construction; ... K. Building exteriors, roofs, landscaping, grounds, walls, retaining and crib walls, fences, driveways, parking lots, planters, sidewalks, or walkways which are maintained in such condition so as to become defective, unsightly, cracked or no longer viable; ... 12. Any property, or any building or structure thereon, maintained in such condition so that it is defective, unsightly or in such condition of deterioration or disrepair that it causes or will cause an ascertainable diminution of the property values of surrounding properties ... 14. Any building or portion thereof maintained in a manner which constitutes a substandard building pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3.
Full Breakdown
Section 23.30.040 lists specific building conditions that are automatically public nuisances: a structure that is partially destroyed, damaged, abandoned, boarded up, dilapidated, or left in a state of partial construction (subsection C); building exteriors, roofs, walls, and walkways maintained so they become defective, unsightly, cracked, or no longer viable (subsection K); a property or structure whose disrepair causes an ascertainable drop in surrounding property values (subsection 12); and any building maintained as a substandard building under Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3 (subsection 14). Before a Code Enforcement Officer can issue an administrative citation for a building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, or grading violation, Section 23.20.100 requires a written compliance order first, naming the violation, the fix required, and a deadline, unless the condition is an immediate threat to health or safety.
If the deadline passes uncorrected, Section 23.20.110 allows an administrative citation against every responsible person named in the order. A cited owner can request an initial administrative review within 20 days under Section 23.20.120, then an administrative hearing within 15 days of that decision under Section 23.20.150, and finally appeal the hearing officer's ruling to the Superior Court within 20 days under Section 23.20.220. Unpaid fines delinquent more than 90 days become a lien on the property under Section 23.20.230, recorded through the County Recorder and collectible as a special assessment on the property tax bill under Section 23.20.250.
The City Manager also holds independent authority under Section 23.30.050 to summarily abate a nuisance building by rehabilitation, demolition, or a forced change of use.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who ignores a compliance order and lets a citation go unpaid faces an administrative fine plus a 10 percent monthly penalty (capped at 50 percent of the fine) and 1 percent monthly interest under Section 23.20.080, and a lien recorded against the property once the debt passes 90 days delinquent. Because Section 23.10.010 makes every code violation a misdemeanor unless stated otherwise, a substandard building can also be prosecuted criminally, punishable under Section 23.10.020 by a fine up to $1,000, six months in county jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a nuisance building in Santa Clarita?
Does the City have to warn me before citing my building?
Can I appeal a nuisance citation on my property?
What happens if I never fix a cited nuisance building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Clarita
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