Unincorporated Orange County does not require rental property registration. There is no countywide rental registry, landlord licensing, or rental inspection program for unincorporated communities. Within Orange County, only the City of Santa Ana has implemented a rental registration program as part of its Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
Unlike some California jurisdictions that require landlords to register rental units (such as the City of Santa Ana's Rental Registry effective September 2024, or Los Angeles County's unincorporated area Rent Stabilization Program), unincorporated Orange County has no rental registration requirement. Landlords are not required to register rental units, obtain a rental business license, or participate in a proactive rental inspection program. Standard business license requirements under OCCO Title 2 may apply to property management companies operating in unincorporated areas, but individual landlords renting residential property do not need a separate rental registration. Landlords must still comply with state law requirements including providing tenants with required disclosures (lead paint, mold, flood zone, Megan's Law, AB 1482 notice) and maintaining habitable conditions per Civil Code §1941.
Since there is no rental registration requirement, there are no penalties for failure to register. Landlords remain subject to standard code enforcement for habitability violations under OCCO Title 3, Division 13 (Property Maintenance) and state Housing Law (Health & Safety Code §17920).
Midway City, CA
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Orange County.
See how other cities in Orange County handle rental registration.
See how Midway City's rental registration rules stack up against other locations.
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