Fairfield requires a Certificate of Rental Occupancy (CRO) for any dwelling unit offered for rent in the city — including houses, condominiums, apartments, and individual rooms — under Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code (Building and Housing Code). The CRO is tenant-based: a new certificate is required each time a new tenant occupies the unit. The City Council also considered a more comprehensive Rental Housing Safety Program in 2024-2026 that would layer routine inspections, compliance monitoring, and registration on top of the existing CRO framework; the program had not been formally adopted as of mid-2026.
The Certificate of Rental Occupancy program operates under Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code and is administered through the Building and Safety Division (within Community Development) in coordination with Code Enforcement. The CRO process requires the property owner or agent to submit an application identifying the unit, the tenant, and the contact information for the responsible party; pay the applicable fee under the City's adopted master fee schedule; and pass a basic habitability inspection if one is triggered. Because the certificate is tenant-based, every change of tenancy starts the process again. The CRO does not by itself create a rental housing 'registry' in the sense used in cities like Sacramento or Oakland — it is more accurately a per-tenancy occupancy permit. A broader Rental Housing Safety Program was the subject of a 2024 staff proposal and 2025-2026 Council workshops, structured around the framework of Assembly Bill 548 (Quirk-Silva 2023, codified at Health & Safety Code §17974) which authorizes local rental inspection programs and standardizes their reporting requirements. The proposed program, with an estimated first-year cost of approximately $1.4 million covering staffing, administration, community outreach, and inspections, would establish a unit-by-unit registry with periodic inspection cycles. Council direction has been to refine the proposal before adoption. Long-term rentals are also subject to: California Civil Code §1962 disclosure of owner and manager contact information, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) where applicable, Health & Safety Code §17920.3 substandard housing standards, and the warranty of habitability under Civil Code §1941. Solano County rental assistance and tenant resource information is available through Catholic Charities of Yolo-Solano and the Solano County Health & Social Services Department.
Renting a dwelling unit without a current Certificate of Rental Occupancy: zoning/housing code violation under Chapter 5, administrative citation under Chapter 1A with escalating fines ($100/$200/$500 per offense), and possible inability to commence an unlawful detainer action because some California courts treat absent local licensing as a defense. False statements on a CRO application: misdemeanor under California Penal Code §118. Substandard conditions discovered during inspection trigger separate enforcement under Health & Safety Code §17920.3 with abatement orders and possible declaration of public nuisance. If the Rental Housing Safety Program is adopted, additional registration and periodic inspection fees and obligations will apply.
Fairfield, CA
Residential pools in Fairfield must be enclosed by a barrier between 60 and 72 inches tall with self-closing, self-latching gates that open away from the poo...
Fairfield, CA
Fairfield does not prescribe specific residential fence materials beyond prohibiting barbed wire, razor wire, and electrified fencing in residential zones. C...
Fairfield, CA
Fairfield follows California Civil Code §841, the Good Neighbor Fence Law: adjoining owners are presumed to share equally in the cost of building, maintainin...
Fairfield, CA
Fairfield requires a building permit for fences and freestanding walls over 7 feet tall and for retaining walls over 4 feet measured from the bottom of the f...
Fairfield, CA
Fairfield Municipal Code Section 25.30 caps front-yard fences at 42 inches within 15 feet of the front property line and 7 feet beyond that. Street side yard...
Fairfield, CA
Fairfield Municipal Code does not set a hard numeric cap on dogs or cats per household. Animals must be licensed, vaccinated, and kept in conditions that do ...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Solano County.
See how other cities in Solano County handle rental registration.
See how Fairfield's rental registration rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.