Bakersfield does not require a mandatory rental property registration program. Rental properties must comply with standard building codes, property maintenance standards, and business licensing requirements, but there is no registry or database of rental units maintained by the city.
Unlike some California cities with proactive rental inspection programs, Bakersfield relies on complaint-driven code enforcement for rental properties. Landlords must maintain properties in habitable condition per California Civil Code §1941 and comply with BMC property maintenance standards. A business license may be required for rental operations. The city does not conduct routine inspections of rental properties unless triggered by tenant complaints or observed violations.
Failure to maintain rental properties in habitable condition violates state law and may result in code enforcement action. Tenants have remedies including repair-and-deduct, rent withholding, and reporting to Code Enforcement. Operating without a required business license can result in fines.
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Municipal Code 6.04.230 prohibits keeping any animal, bird, or fowl that by sound or cry unreasonably disturbs the peace or interferes with the c...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Municipal Code Chapter 9.22 prohibits any loud, unnecessary noise that disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood, or that causes discomfort...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield does not generally ban overnight street parking, but BMC 10.40.010 makes it unlawful for any vehicle (operable or not) to remain parked on a publ...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield does not restrict year-round lawn ornaments (statues, gnomes, flamingos, religious figures, sports themes) on residential property. There is no p...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield does not regulate residential inflatable holiday displays by size, lighting, or motor noise. They qualify as seasonal decorations exempt under BM...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield's outdoor lighting standards exempt seasonal decorations as long as they are not in use for more than 60 consecutive days. Residential lots zoned...
See how Bakersfield's rental registration rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.