Victorville, CA Property Maintenance: Property Blight (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Code Enforcement Officer / Development Department
- Legal basis
- Health & Safety Code Sec. 17920.3 conditions
- Abatement timeline
- 10 days to start, 30 days to complete
- Occupying posted building
- Infraction or misdemeanor
- Cost recovery
- Lien on property plus attorney's fees
- Tenant relief
- Relocation benefits under H&S Code Sec. 17975
Summary
A Victorville Code Enforcement Officer can declare any building with hazards listed in Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3 a substandard building after inspection, then order it vacated and posted with a 'Dangerous Building - Do Not Occupy' placard. Occupying a posted building is a misdemeanor, and the City can abate the nuisance by repair, demolition, or removal.
Any building or portion thereof that is determined to be an unsafe building wherein there exists one or more of the conditions listed in Section 17920.3 of the California Health and Safety Code, or any building or portion thereof, including any dwelling unit, guest room or suite of rooms, or the premises on which the same is located, in which there exists any of the conditions referenced in this Section to an extent that endangers the life, health, property, safety or welfare of the public or the occupants thereof, shall be deemed and hereby are declared to be substandard buildings upon completion of an inspection by a Code Enforcement Officer and/or other City official.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 57).
Full Breakdown
3, or comparable hazards, endangering life, health, property, safety, or welfare. 070's penalty provisions. 040 requires the posted notice to read 'DANGEROUS BUILDING / DO NOT OCCUPY / IT IS A MISDEMEANOR TO OCCUPY THIS BUILDING OR TO REMOVE OR DEFACE THIS NOTICE,' issued by the Development Department and listing the substandard conditions; no one may remove or deface it until required repairs or demolition are completed and inspected by City personnel. 050 declares substandard buildings a public nuisance abatable by repair, rehabilitation, demolition, or removal.
10 if a Code Enforcement Officer finds the owner at fault. Article 4's broader abatement process (Sec. 020(b)) gives owners ten days to commence and thirty days to complete abatement, repair, or demolition after notice, though the citing officer can extend that period for good cause or shorten it for an imminent hazard. 030(c) lets the City perform the work itself and record the costs, including attorney's fees, as a special assessment and lien against the property.
Violations & Fines
Occupying, or letting anyone occupy, a building posted as substandard is subject to the penalties in Section 16-6.01.070, and removing or defacing a posted 'Dangerous Building' notice before repairs are approved is separately prohibited under Section 16-6.03.040(b). Any Article 3 violation is chargeable as an infraction or misdemeanor at the citing officer's or City Attorney's discretion under Section 16-6.03.070, and the City can recover its abatement costs and attorney's fees as a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a building 'substandard' in Victorville?
How long do I have to fix a building the City has declared a nuisance?
Can I be cited for living in a posted building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Victorville
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How other cities in San Bernardino County handle property blight.