Santa Maria, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Section 9-44.110 rewrites Subsection 602.2 of the International Property Maintenance Code (as locally adopted) to require dwellings to provide heating facilities capable of maintaining 68ºF (20ºC) in all habitable rooms, and it expressly bars using cooking appliances or portable unvented fuel-burning space heaters to meet that requirement. Section 9-44.120 separately deletes the model code's Section 602.3 (Heat Supply) entirely, so Santa Maria relies on the 68-degree capability standard in 602.2 rather than a fixed seasonal heat-supply schedule. A rental that lacks adequate heating, ventilation, sanitary facilities, or is vermin- or rat-infested can be found 'unfit for human occupancy' under Section 108.1.3, which the Building Official or designee enforces by posting an 'Unsafe' or 'Limited Entry' placard under Section 9-44.061/108.4, referencing the Section 113 appeal process of the 2025 California Building Code as locally amended. The Code Compliance Division carries out these inspections under Section 9-44.030, and fees follow the City's current Schedule of Fees and Charges (Section 9-44.040).