El Cajon, CA Public Health Rules: Bed-Bug Rules (2026)

212, the Deemed Approved Lodging Establishment Ordinance, applies to all legal nonconforming, conditionally, or otherwise permitted hotels, motels, and bed-and-breakfast places of business, defined in Sec. 030 to exclude single- or multi-family residences and single room occupancy hotels. Sec. 070(E), the Maintenance and Housekeeping performance standard, requires each guest room to be maintained by regular cleaning to stay "free from garbage, rodents, or vermin," with housekeeping provided at least weekly and between guests. Two specific bed bug clauses sit within that same subsection: room furnishings, including mattresses and furniture, must be "free of stains, holes, rips, or odors in excess of normal wear and tear, and shall further be free and clear of bed bugs, fleas, lice, and other similar vermin," and carpeting, flooring, walls, and ceilings carry the identical bed bug clearance requirement.

These standards apply citywide to every deemed-approved lodging establishment as a condition of retaining that status, which functions as the ongoing legal permission to operate. Enforcement runs through Sec. 14, or, for violations the officer deems incapable of correction or a serious public health threat, refers the matter directly to the planning commission for a hearing. Sec. 150 makes any violation of the chapter chargeable as an infraction or misdemeanor under the general penalty clause in Sec. 010, and separately declares any noncompliant condition a public nuisance the city may abate.

Sustained violations, including bed bug infestations left unremedied, can lead the planning commission to suspend, modify, or revoke a lodging establishment's deemed-approved status under Sec. 110, forcing the property to seek a new conditional use permit before continuing to operate.