Simi Valley, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Adopted
- Ordinance 921, effective July 2, 1998
- Applies to
- Owners, renters, occupants, HOAs (single-family)
- Pool/spa rule
- Must be chlorine/bromine treated, kept clean
- Vegetation rule
- No dead brush; fire-menace weeds prohibited
- Enforcement
- City abates and bills owner, Sec. 5-36.114
- Appeal
- Available before abatement, Sec. 5-36.110
Summary
Simi Valley Municipal Code Section 5-36.104 sets minimum upkeep standards that apply to anyone owning, renting, or occupying single-family residential property, covering landscaping, dead vegetation, debris, building repair, pest infestation and pool maintenance. Falling short of any one standard is itself a Code violation the City can pursue through code enforcement.
Any person owning, renting, occupying, or having charge of any single-family residential property, or any homeowners' association responsible for maintenance of property, shall maintain the property in accordance with the following minimum standards. Failure to comply with any of these minimum standards shall constitute a violation of this Code. ... (c)Property shall be free of overgrown or dead vegetation, including but not limited to lawns, weeds, trees, limbs, or leaves. Weeds include sage brush, dry grass, chaparral, and any other brush or vegetation which becomes a fire menace when dry. ... (e)All improvements on the property...shall be painted/preserved and maintained in good repair and safe condition free of significant surface cracks, missing materials, warping, or dryrot. ... (g)Property shall be free from infestation of termites, insects, vermin, or rodents.(h)Swimming pools and spas shall be maintained in a good condition, being regularly treated with chlorine or bromine compounds or other methods to prevent the deterioration of the pool or spa or its contents.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51).
Full Breakdown
104 lists the standards a tenant, owner, or homeowners' association has to meet on single-family residential property. Front, rear, and side yards have to be landscaped with trees, shrubs, ground cover, or lawn and kept irrigated, pruned, and mowed; overgrown or dead vegetation, including sage brush, dry grass, and chaparral that becomes a fire menace when dry, is a violation on its own. The property has to stay free of trash, packing boxes, lumber, construction material, and outdoor-inappropriate furniture left on porches, decks, or yards.
Buildings, garages, carports, fences, walls, doors, windows, roofs and gutters have to be painted or preserved and kept in good repair, free of significant cracks, missing materials, warping, or dryrot, and walkways and driveways have to stay in safe condition. 102 defines for unsafe conditions likely to draw kids onto the property. 105 sets a parallel, slightly longer list of standards for multi-residential buildings of four units or more, plus commercial and industrial property, adding sign-maintenance requirements not found in the single-family list.
Violations & Fines
Section 5-36.107 makes any property maintained in violation of Sections 5-36.103 through 5-36.106 a declared public and "attractive" nuisance. The City can serve a notice of the violation under Section 5-36.108, and if it isn't corrected the City may perform the abatement itself and bill the owner for all administrative and abatement costs under Section 5-36.114, with an appeal of the notice available under Section 5-36.110 before that work begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Simi Valley's property maintenance code apply to renters or only owners?
What happens if I don't fix a cited violation?
Are swimming pools specifically regulated under this ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Simi Valley
California rules heatmap·Compare Simi Valley to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle repairs & habitability.