Glendale, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Base rights
- Applies on top of Civil Code 1941.1/1941.2
- Housing location
- Temp housing: in Glendale or within 2 miles
- Cost
- Landlord pays motel bill even if pricier
- Timing
- 24-hour turnaround from vacate notice/order
- Buyout
- Buyout option after 30+ day displacement
- Return notice
- Reoccupancy notice: 7 days (30 if third-party)
Summary
When a Glendale landlord intentionally lets a rental unit fall into disrepair badly enough to make it untenantable or expose the tenant to hazards like lead paint or asbestos, Municipal Code Section 9.30.040 requires the landlord, on top of the tenant's habitability rights under Civil Code Sections 1941.1 and 1941.2, to pay for safe temporary lodging, meals, laundry, and pet accommodation until repairs are finished.
In addition to the protections provided in California Civil Code Section 1941.1 relating to the implied warranty of habitability and the requirements imposed by California Civil Code section 1941.2 relating to tenants' affirmative obligations, any intentional allowance on the part of the landlord for a rental unit to fall into disrepair, a landlord will offer temporary relocation as follows: A. If the activities will make the rental unit an untenantable dwelling, as defined in California Civil Code Section 1941.1, or will expose the tenant at any time to toxic or hazardous materials, including, but not limited to, lead-based paint and asbestos, the landlord shall provide tenant with the following temporary relocation benefits during the temporary displacement period: 1. Relocation to a motel or hotel accommodation which is safe, sanitary, comparable to the tenant's sleeping arrangement, located in the city of Glendale, or if suitable accommodation is not available within the city of Glendale, then within two miles of the tenant's rental unit, and contains standard amenities such as a television.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4983441; v20 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
040(A) requires the landlord to relocate the tenant to a motel or hotel that is safe, sanitary, comparable to the tenant's existing sleeping arrangement, and located in Glendale or, if nothing suitable exists in the city, within two miles, with standard amenities such as a television. The landlord must also cover reasonable meal costs if the temporary unit lacks cooking facilities, laundry costs if the tenant's unit had in-unit laundry the temporary unit lacks, pet accommodation if pets were permitted, and all moving costs both to and from the temporary housing.
Subsection (B) requires the landlord to pay the motel or hotel directly, even if the nightly rate exceeds the tenant's daily rent. As an alternative under subsection (C), the landlord may instead provide comparable replacement housing matching the tenant's unit in location, size, bedrooms, furnishings, and proximity to services the tenant depends on. Subsection (E) requires temporary housing to be available within 24 hours of any notice or order to vacate. Subsection (F) guarantees the displaced tenant the right to reoccupy the original unit once the work is complete, without losing any prior tenancy rights, and subsection (I) requires seven days' written notice to reoccupy in most cases, or 30 days if the tenant was placed with a separate third-party housing provider under a lease longer than 30 days.
Subsection (G) keeps the tenant responsible for rent on the original unit throughout the displacement. If the untenantable conditions are projected to last, or actually last, 30 days or more, subsection (L) gives the tenant the separate option to terminate the tenancy voluntarily through a buyout agreement rather than accept temporary relocation, with return of any refundable security deposit.
Violations & Fines
A landlord who fails to provide the required temporary housing, meal, laundry, pet, or moving-cost benefits under Section 9.30.040 is subject to the Chapter 9.30 remedies in Section 9.30.050, giving the tenant an affirmative defense against any related eviction action, the right to seek injunctive relief and money damages, and, as the prevailing party, an award of attorneys' fees and costs. A tenant must first give the landlord written notice of the untenantable conditions unless the landlord already knows.
Frequently Asked Questions
My landlord let my unit fall into disrepair on purpose. What am I owed?
Do I still have to pay rent while relocated for repairs?
Can I just end my lease instead of moving to a motel?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
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