Long Beach, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LBMC § 18.02.020 (Definitions. Substandard Building)
- Enforcing officials
- Building Official, Fire Code Official, Health Officer
- Notice period
- 30 days to start, 90 days to complete repairs
- Occupied-building process
- 30-day notice of intent before vacate order
- Unoccupied building
- Vacate order may be immediate
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Long Beach Municipal Code § 18.02.020 defines a 'substandard building', the city's own habitability yardstick for rental units, covering sanitation, structural, wiring, plumbing and weather-protection defects severe enough to endanger occupants' life, health or safety. The Building Official and Fire Code Official enforce it under Chapter 18.20, which lets the City order repairs, vacate, or demolish rental units that fail these standards.
"Substandard building" means any building or other structure, or the premises on which the same is located, where any of the following conditions exist to an extent which, in the opinion of the Building Official or Fire Code Official, endangers the life, limb, health, property, safety or welfare of the occupants thereof, or of the public: 1.Inadequate sanitation. "Inadequate sanitation" shall include, but not be limited to, the following:a.Lack of or improper water closet, lavatory, bathtub or shower in a dwelling unit;...d.Lack of hot and cold running water to plumbing fixtures in a hotel;e.Lack of hot and cold running water to plumbing fixtures in a dwelling unit;f.Lack of adequate heating;...k.Dampness of habitable rooms;l.Infestation of insects, vermin or rodents as determined by the Health Officer;m.General dilapidation or improper maintenance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
020 lists the specific conditions that make a building substandard: inadequate sanitation (lack of a proper water closet, lavatory, bathtub or shower; no hot and cold running water to plumbing fixtures; inadequate heating; missing required ventilation, natural light or electrical lighting; dampness of habitable rooms; insect, vermin or rodent infestation as determined by the Health Officer; general dilapidation or improper maintenance; no connection to required sewage disposal; and inadequate garbage and rubbish storage); structural hazards such as deteriorated foundations, floor supports insufficient to carry imposed loads, or walls and roof members that split, lean or buckle; hazardous wiring, plumbing or mechanical equipment; faulty weather protection including crumbling plaster or broken windows and doors; and fire hazards from combustible waste or vegetation.
020 requires written notice specifying the inadequacies, giving no less than thirty days to commence and ninety days to complete corrective work, and warns the building may be ordered vacated if the owner misses those deadlines. 040, an occupied substandard building gets a thirty-day notice of intent before an order to vacate issues; an unoccupied one can be ordered vacated immediately. 060 requires a red placard on the building.
Violations & Fines
Occupying a building after it has been posted vacated, or removing the vacate placard, is a separate misdemeanor under § 18.20.060. General Code violations of Title 18 are prosecuted under § 1.32.010: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an infraction capped at $1,000, with each day of continuing violation charged separately, and any substandard condition additionally deemed a public nuisance the City may summarily abate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a Long Beach rental unit 'substandard' under the housing code?
How much time does a Long Beach property owner get to fix a substandard condition?
Can tenants move back in after a Long Beach substandard-building order?
Who enforces Long Beach's rental habitability standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle repairs & habitability.