Butte County, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Local housing authority
- Building Division, Dept. of Development Services
- State law enforced
- Health & Safety Code Pt. 1.5, § 17910 et seq.
- Substandard trigger
- H&SC § 17920.3 conditions
- Abatement path
- Chapters 41 and 32A nuisance procedures
Summary
Butte County has designated its own Building Division as the county's official housing department, with authority to enforce the state's human-habitability standards and declare a rental unit a substandard building when conditions endanger occupants.
Pursuant to Health and Safety Code Sections 17961 and 17964, the building division of the department of development services is designated as the Butte County housing department and the building official is designated with the authority, within the County of Butte, to enforce: Part 1.5 of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code, entitled "Regulation of Buildings Used for Human Habitation" and commencing with Section 17910; the building standards published in the State Building Standards Code; and any other rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to the provisions of said Part 1.5 for the protection of the public health, safety, and general welfare as set forth in Health and Safety Code Section 17921.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
5 of Division 13 of the Health and Safety Code, the state law titled 'Regulation of Buildings Used for Human Habitation' beginning at Section 17910, along with the State Building Standards Code and related rules adopted for public health, safety and welfare under Health and Safety Code Section 17921. That local designation is the mechanism by which state habitability law, covering plumbing, heating, weatherproofing, electrical and structural soundness, is actually enforced against Butte County landlords rather than sitting unenforced on the books. 3 because a condition endangers the life, limb, health, property, safety or welfare of the public or the occupants.
Section 26-6(c) separately declares any use or occupancy in violation of the chapter to be a public nuisance, subject to abatement. Section 26-65 directs that once the building official determines a structure is substandard, it is declared a public nuisance and abated by repair, rehabilitation or removal under the Chapter 41 and Chapter 32A enforcement procedures, with the Building Official authorized to defer the abatement date in cases of extreme hardship to owner-occupants.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or maintaining a habitation in violation of a building official's substandard-building notice is itself unlawful under Section 26-6(b), independent of the underlying habitability defect, and any such violation is also a declared public nuisance under Section 26-6(c) that Development Services can abate through the Chapter 32A hearing and lien process, including recovery of abatement and administrative costs against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who enforces habitability standards on rentals in unincorporated Butte County?
What happens once a rental is declared a substandard building?
Is it a violation to keep living in a unit flagged as substandard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Butte County
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