Petaluma, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum heat
- 68°F at 3 ft above floor, §1.10.085(H)(1)
- Hot water minimum
- 120°F, per §1.10.020 definition
- Bathroom fixtures required
- Water closet, lavatory, tub or shower
- Kitchen requirement
- Working sink plus cooking appliance
- Escalation path
- Substandard finding can trigger §1.10.030
- Max penalty
- $1,000 per day unabated
Summary
Petaluma requires every dwelling unit, guest room and congregate residence to have permanently installed heat capable of holding 68 degrees Fahrenheit three feet above the floor, plus working hot and cold water and sanitary fixtures, under the residential maintenance standards of Section 1.10.085.
A. General. In addition to the general property maintenance standards specified in Section 1.10.075, all buildings, common areas, or portions thereof used, designed, or intended to be used for human habitation shall comply with the requirements of this section. ... ... H. Mechanical Equipment. 1. Heating. ... Dwelling units, guest rooms, and congregate residences shall be provided with permanently installed heating facilities capable of maintaining a room temperature of sixty-eight degrees Fahrenheit (twenty degrees Celsius) at a point three feet (nine hundred fourteen millimeters) above the floor in all habitable rooms. Such facilities shall be installed and maintained in a safe condition. ... Fuel-burning heaters without vents to the exterior are specifically prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
075. The heating standard is specific and numeric: dwelling units, guest rooms and congregate residences must have permanently installed heating facilities capable of maintaining 68 degrees Fahrenheit at a point three feet above the floor in every habitable room, installed and maintained in a safe condition, and fuel-burning heaters without exterior vents are flatly prohibited. The same section requires hot and cold running water at every plumbing fixture, defines "hot water" elsewhere in the code as not less than 120 degrees Fahrenheit, and requires each dwelling unit to have a bathroom with a water closet, lavatory and bathtub or shower, plus a kitchen with a working sink and cooking appliance.
Ground-fault protected outlets are required in every bathroom. 030 if conditions are severe enough. These are property-condition minimums enforced by the city, not a full statement of a tenant's civil remedies against a landlord, which run separately under state habitability law.
Violations & Fines
A code enforcement officer can issue a notice of violation for any deficiency under Section 1.10.085, and failure to correct it within the time set, generally not less than fifteen days for non-emergency conditions, exposes the responsible party to a penalty of up to $1,000 per day under Section 1.14.050 or an administrative citation under Chapter 1.16. Severe deficiencies can support a substandard-building declaration and condemnation under Section 1.10.030.
Frequently Asked Questions
What indoor temperature must a Petaluma rental be able to reach?
Does Petaluma require hot water in rental units?
What if my landlord won't fix a broken heater in Petaluma?
Are older Petaluma rentals exempt from these standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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