Fontana, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted code
- 1997 Uniform Housing Code + Title 25
- Governing section
- Sec. 14-26, Sec. 14-27
- Max fine per offense
- $1,000
- Max jail term
- 6 months
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
Summary
Fontana adopts the 1997 Uniform Housing Code and the state's Title 25 Housing Law as its local housing code under Sec. 14-26, setting the habitability floor every dwelling in the city must meet. Sec. 14-27 makes it a misdemeanor to erect, occupy, use or maintain a building in violation of that code, punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail per offense.
State Housing Law, known as the California Code of Regulations, Title-25, Division 1, Chapter 1, Subchapter 1, Section 32 and the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Housing Code, Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10, published by the International Conference of Building Officials is hereby adopted by reference as the Housing Code of the city and reference is hereby made to the copy now on file in the clerk's office of the city... Sec. 204. Violations-Penalties. It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert or demolish, equip, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure or cause or permit the same to be done in violation of this code. Every person, firm or corporation who violates any of the provisions of this Code is guilty of a misdemeanor... Upon conviction such person is punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, ($1,000) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment for each offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 17).
Full Breakdown
Fontana Municipal Code Sec. 14-26 adopts, by reference, State Housing Law found at California Code of Regulations Title 25, Division 1, Chapter 1, Subchapter 1, Section 32, together with Chapters 1 through 10 of the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Housing Code published by the International Conference of Building Officials, as the city's Housing Code. A copy sits on file in the city clerk's office. Sec. 14-27 amends that adopted code twice: it deletes Section 203 outright and rewrites Section 204, the violations and penalties section, to say it is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, demolish, equip, use, occupy or maintain any building or structure in violation of the Housing Code.
Every violator is guilty of a misdemeanor, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, so a landlord who lets a habitability defect persist can face repeated charges rather than a single fine. Conviction carries a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment in county jail for up to six months, or both, for each offense. Because the Housing Code cross-references chapter 5 (buildings) and chapter 18 (nuisances), a habitability complaint about a rental unit, failing plumbing, unsafe wiring, structural defects, can be enforced through the same building official who administers the adopted California codes.
Violations & Fines
Occupying, using or maintaining a rental unit in violation of the adopted Housing Code is a misdemeanor under Sec. 14-27(b), rewriting Section 204 of the Uniform Housing Code. Each day the violation continues is a separate offense, and conviction carries a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sets the minimum habitability standard for Fontana rentals?
What happens if a landlord ignores a habitability violation?
Is there a separate penalty section for the housing code?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fontana
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