National City, CA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

National City runs its rental program through Chapter 15.16 of the National City Municipal Code, which adopts Chapters 1 through 6 and Sections 701.2 and 701.3 of the 1997 Uniform Housing Code with local changes. Section 15.16.035 rewrites Section 304 of that code so the Annual Housing Permit is the entry requirement. It covers apartment houses, hotels and lodging houses as defined in Chapter 4 of the Uniform Housing Code, plus every single family, duplex, triplex or four-plex rental unit. The permit is prorated on a quarterly basis and expires on the last day of the quarter one year later than the quarter of issue. It is not transferable from one establishment to another, but the permittee can be changed without charge by notifying the National City Building and Safety Department.

The code also contemplates housing permit inspections. Section 15.16.040 says all fees for housing permits and housing permit inspections are set by resolution of the City Council, so the dollar amounts live in the adopted fee schedule and not in the code. Section 15.16.015 lets the Building Official and authorized representatives request entry under Chapter 1.12 when an inspection is needed or when there is reasonable cause to believe a building or premises is unsafe, dangerous or hazardous. Section 15.16.010 directs the Director of Building and Safety to enforce the code and the State Housing Law in Part 1.5 of Division 13 of the California Health and Safety Code.

Section 15.16.060 removes the annual fee in two situations. The first is a unit occupied by a family member, rented at less than the current owner's expense (mortgage payments, property taxes, association fees, assessments, property insurance and utilities), and declared as family-occupied on the county property tax declaration or federal income tax return. The second is a unit that is unoccupied, under construction and will not be occupied for any portion of the tax year. Proof of eligibility is required, and an exemption is good for one year only: it must be renewed each taxable year by the tax due date or the owner is subject to an administration fee.