San Jacinto, CA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

Chapter 5.62 of the San Jacinto Municipal Code, the Nonowner Occupied Property Inspection Program, was adopted by Ord. 13-02 to find substandard rental housing and make sure it is rehabilitated or eliminated. Section 5.62.030 applies the chapter to all existing residential nonowner occupied property, including parking lots, driveways, landscaping, accessory structures, fences, walls, swimming pools, hot tubs and spas, and says code enforcement officers conduct the initial and subsequent inspections. Section 5.62.060 authorizes an annual exterior inspection of those properties to identify violations of the applicable codes and standards, which include the municipal code, California Housing Code, Building Code, Fire Code, Health and Safety Code and Code of Regulations.

Section 5.62.040 lists exemptions: newly constructed residential buildings for two years from the certificate of occupancy date (lost if a complaint or violation arises), condominium units owned for the interior only, hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and similar short-term occupancies, and mobile home parks. Section 5.62.050 makes property owners pay an annual inspection fee set by council resolution, used solely for inspection and administration, and the city can recover an unpaid fee with interest and penalties through nuisance abatement or tax lien procedures.

The procedure in Section 5.62.100 starts with notice by regular mail, and the exterior can be inspected after seven days following service. Properties of sixteen (16) dwelling units or more do not require an appointment. An interior inspection needs notice stating an approximate date and time, and the city attorney can seek a warrant if access is refused. The written report itemizes violations and sets a correction period from twenty-four (24) hours up to sixty (60) days (Section 5.62.110). A reinspection fee is charged if work was not done (Section 5.62.120). Owners can enlist in the Good Neighbor Investment Commitment program for an inspection before each rental agreement, with a report of code violations and recent police activity (Section 5.62.140).