Contra Costa County, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- New-building exemption
- 10 years from occupancy notice
- Correction window
- 24 hours to 60 days
- Fully exempt
- Mobilehomes and mobilehome parks
- Standards source
- §§ 720-8.404 and 720-8.406
- Tax penalty
- Rev. & Tax Code § 24436.5 referral
Summary
Every rental dwelling unit owner in unincorporated Contra Costa County must keep the unit and premises free of 'substandard conditions' under Section 720-8.402. Section 720-8.404's exterior maintenance standards require weathertight walls and roofs, sound windows and doors, and safely maintained chimneys, gutters, and accessory structures, on top of the state Building, Housing, and Health and Safety Codes.
Every property owner of a rental dwelling unit in the unincorporated area of the county shall:(a)Maintain the rental dwelling unit and its premises so that no substandard condition exists at the rental dwelling unit or on the premises;(b)Correct all substandard conditions before a reinspection occurs... Rental dwelling units and premises shall meet the following exterior maintenance standards:(a)Buildings, or portions of buildings, must have exterior walls that are weathertight and watertight, and kept free of deterioration, holes, breaks, or loose boards or coverings. Roof surfaces must be watertight and not have any defects that will allow water to enter into the structure...(e)Windows must be soundly and adequately glazed, free from loose and broken glass and cracks that could cause physical injury or allow the elements to enter the structure. Exterior doors must be maintained weathertight, watertight and rodent proof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
208(a). 206(e) as noncompliance with the California Building Standards Codes, the Uniform Housing Code, or the State Housing Law, or being unsafe to occupy. 404's exterior standards require weathertight, watertight exterior walls free of holes or loose coverings, watertight roofs, maintained paint or exterior finish, sound cornices, moldings, and similar projections, structurally secured chimneys, antennae, vents, gutters, and downspouts, soundly glazed windows free of broken glass, weathertight and rodent-proof exterior doors, and vermin-free conditions under Chapter 416-14. Accessory structures such as carports, garages, sheds, and pools must be kept in good repair or removed.
406's companion site standards require premises clear of weeds, junk, debris, and stagnant water, maintained parking areas and refuse enclosures, and landscaping free of public safety hazards, with a landscape plan required if an inspector flags a hazard. 210(b), and mobilehomes and units in mobilehome parks are exempt entirely.
Violations & Fines
A property owner who doesn't correct a substandard condition identified in a Section 720-8.610 notice and order within the time given, ranging from twenty-four hours to sixty days depending on severity, faces county remedies under Section 720-8.618: infraction prosecution, administrative penalties, abatement, and referral to the Franchise Tax Board to disallow the owner's interest, depreciation, tax, and amortization deductions on the property under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 24436.5.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a substandard rental in unincorporated Contra Costa County?
How long does a landlord get to fix a violation?
Are new apartment buildings covered by this ordinance right away?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Contra Costa County
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