Palm Desert, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Chapter 15.22 adopts the Uniform Housing Code, 1997 Edition, Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7, by reference to Title 25 of the California Code of Regulations for the enforcement of use, maintenance and occupancy requirements by local code enforcement agencies. A copy is kept on file for public examination in the office of the building official. The city then adds its own local standard in § 15.22.020: new Section 701.1.1, titled Required air conditioning. Every dwelling unit must be provided with air conditioning facilities capable of maintaining a room temperature of not more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit in all habitable rooms. The text says every dwelling unit, so it reaches rented apartments, houses and condominiums alike, and it counts every habitable room rather than one living area. Both sections were enacted by Ordinance 1439 on January 8, 2026.

Enforcement runs through the nuisance chapter. Section 8.20.020(L) makes any violation of the uniform codes adopted by the city, expressly including the Uniform Housing Code, an unlawful public nuisance. An enforcement official can issue a notice to abate that describes the conditions, the code sections, the corrective actions and a reasonable compliance period. The recipient has fifteen calendar days from service to appeal to a hearing officer. Separately, § 8.70.040 bars buildings from violating the California Health and Safety Code, and § 8.70.010 declares violations of the property maintenance chapter a public nuisance abatable under Chapter 8.20. Residents of the City of Palm Desert who rent should read the housing code together with those chapters.