Hawthorne, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 8.20.030(B)
- State standard incorporated
- Health & Safety Code § 17920.3
- Notice requirement
- Written notice of abatement (§ 8.20.070)
- Compliance window
- 30 days before recordation
- Recorded remedy
- Notice of substandard property (LA County Recorder)
- Default penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail (§ 1.20.010)
- Appeal path
- § 8.20.100
Summary
Hawthorne classifies a rental building as a public nuisance the moment it contains any condition listed in California Health and Safety Code Section 17920.3, the state's substandard-housing standard, under Municipal Code Section 8.20.030(B). That covers things like inadequate sanitation, faulty wiring, and structural hazards. Code enforcement issues a written notice of abatement giving the landlord thirty days to repair, rehabilitate, or demolish before the city can record a substandard-property notice against the parcel.
B. Any building or structure, or portion thereof, or the premises on which the same is located, in which there exists any of the conditions listed in Section 17920.3 of the California Health and Safety Code, and any future amendments thereto.
Full Breakdown
3 exists, the exact list state law uses to define substandard housing. Item 17(a) of the nuisance list separately flags premises rendered unsanitary or substandard as defined by the State Housing Law or the building code of the city. 070(A). 070(A)(7). 060(B) lets the city pursue administrative, civil or injunctive, or criminal remedies, alone or combined, whenever a responsible person fails to abate the nuisance in a timely or proper manner. 080 requires the city give the owner a reasonable period to choose between repair, rehabilitation, or demolition, and a reasonable time to complete whichever option is chosen, before city crews may demolish the structure themselves. 060(A): responsible persons must not allow a public nuisance, including a substandard dwelling, to exist on their property.
Violations & Fines
A property still in violation after the compliance period is a public nuisance the city can abate directly, billing the owner for costs, and record a notice of substandard property with the LA County Recorder against title. Because Chapter 8.20 sets no penalty of its own, an underlying violation defaults to Hawthorne's general penalty scheme in Section 1.20.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day the condition continues charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Hawthorne rental unit "substandard"?
How much time does a Hawthorne landlord get to fix a habitability violation?
What can the city do if a landlord ignores the notice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hawthorne
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