Palmdale, CA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Chapter 8.40, the Comprehensive Residential Rental Unit Inspection Program, requires every owner of a residential rental unit, including single-family homes, ADUs, and mobile homes on private land, to register with the Building Official within 60 days of acquiring the property or converting it to rental use, under Section 8.40.020. New construction registers for free and does not need re-registration for five years unless its certificate of compliance ends early.

Section 8.40.030 requires the owner to schedule the initial inspection with the Building and Safety Department within 60 days of completing registration, and to give inspectors access to the entire property, both at that scheduled time and within 10 working days of any later request. The Building Official can pull in the Los Angeles County Health Department, County Fire Department, or state agencies as needed. If repairs are required, the owner must reschedule the follow-up inspection within 30 days of the correction notice; missing that window automatically cancels the rental registration.

Under Section 8.40.035, a certificate of compliance issues only after the inspection passes, all violations are corrected with proper permits, the required repair-request log and property-management posting sign are in place, all fees are paid, and the owner holds a valid City business license. The Building Official then sets the reinspection schedule using the table in Section 8.40.035(C): five years for units with no or only minor, promptly corrected violations that are PAC-certified; three years for minor-violation units without PAC certification; and every single year for any property with a major violation, such as an inoperable heating system in winter or hazardous electrical wiring.