Sonoma, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)

015 amends Section 202 of the 2025 California Building Code, as locally adopted, to spell out what counts as an 'unsafe structure' (synonymous with 'dangerous building') in the City of Sonoma. The list runs from structural conditions, such as a building likely to partially or completely collapse because of dilapidation, deterioration, decay, faulty construction, or foundation failure, to conditions caused by neglect and vacancy. A structure that has become so damaged by fire, wind, earthquake, or flood, or so dilapidated, that it turns into an attractive nuisance to children, a public nuisance, or is freely accessible for unlawful acts, qualifies.

So does any building that has been abandoned or becomes vacant and is left unsecured or open at exterior doors or windows, exposing the interior to weather or trespassers. 30 nuisance abatement machinery, which lets the city attorney pursue civil abatement, or lets the city council order a hearing, declare the structure a public nuisance, and assess the cost of correction or demolition as a lien against the property. 010: up to $100 for a first violation, $500 for a second violation of the same section within a year, and $1,000 for a third or subsequent violation within a year, on top of any misdemeanor prosecution and nuisance abatement costs. The amendments took effect with Ordinance 13-2025, adopted December 3, 2025, so this is the current standard the building official applies.