Santa Rosa, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum temperature
- 68°F (20°C)
- Covered spaces
- Habitable rooms, bathrooms, toilet rooms
- Portable space heaters
- Do not satisfy the requirement
- Governing sections
- SRCC § 18-20.602.2 and § 18-20.602.3
- Exceptions
- Deleted; none apply
Summary
Santa Rosa landlords who furnish heat under a lease must maintain at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit in every habitable room, bathroom, and toilet room. Portable space heaters and cooking appliances never satisfy the requirement, even temporarily.
602.2. Residential occupancies. Interior spaces intended for human occupancy shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintaining a room temperature of 68 degrees F (20°C) in all habitable rooms, bathrooms, and toilet rooms. Cooking appliances shall not be used, nor shall portable unvented fuel-burning space heaters be used, as a means to provide required heating. The installation of one or more portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section. ... 602.3 Heat supply. Every owner and operator of any building who rents, leases or lets one or more dwelling units or sleeping units on terms, either expressed or implied, to furnish heat to the occupants thereof shall supply heat to maintain a minimum temperature of 68°F (20°C) in all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms. Exceptions deleted.
Full Breakdown
Two linked Property Maintenance Code sections set Santa Rosa's rental heating floor. 2 (Residential occupancies), requires interior spaces intended for human occupancy to have heating facilities capable of maintaining a room temperature of 68 degrees F (20°C) in all habitable rooms, bathrooms, and toilet rooms, and expressly bars using cooking appliances or portable unvented fuel-burning space heaters to meet that duty; it further states that installing one or more portable space heaters does not achieve compliance. ' Notably, Santa Rosa deleted the exceptions that the model International Property Maintenance Code otherwise allows, so there is no carve-out for mild weather or off-season shutoffs once heat is required under the rental terms.
A tenant whose unit lacks working heat, or whose landlord relies on space heaters instead of fixed heating equipment, has a Property Maintenance Code habitability complaint that Code Enforcement can act on directly, independent of any state Health and Safety Code habitability claim.
Violations & Fines
A confirmed heat-supply violation is treated as substandard housing under the Property Maintenance Code. Code Enforcement issues a correction notice requiring the owner to restore adequate fixed heating equipment; failure to comply can lead to an administrative citation, civil penalties, and, in serious cases, a substandard building declaration that restricts occupancy until repairs are made.
Frequently Asked Questions
What minimum temperature must a Santa Rosa rental maintain?
Can my landlord give me a space heater instead of fixing the furnace?
Are there seasonal exceptions to the heat supply rule in Santa Rosa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Rosa
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Rosa to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle repairs & habitability.