Hayward, CA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Sidewalk Repair (2026)

Adopted under authority of California Streets and Highways Code Section 5600 et seq. and updated by Ordinance 25-11 on November 18, 2025, Hayward Municipal Code Section 7-2.70 finds that damaged, unrepaired sidewalks abutting private property reduce property values, promote blight, and endanger the public, declaring such conditions a nuisance subject to abatement. Section 7-2.72 places the duty on the 'Responsible Person,' defined in Section 7-2.71 as the owner listed on the last equalized assessment roll, to keep the adjacent sidewalk in a safe, non-dangerous condition, including grinding, removal, and replacement of sidewalk panels and repair of curb and gutter after obtaining any required City permits.

The owner is off the hook only if an act of the City or a third party proximately caused the hazard, and the owner carries the burden of proving that. If a pedestrian is hurt because the owner failed to maintain the sidewalk, Section 7-2.72(c) makes the owner liable for resulting damages, and subsection (d) treats the failure as both negligence and a public nuisance while shielding the City from liability for the owner's negligence. When the Enforcement Officer designated by the City Manager flags a dangerous sidewalk, Section 7-2.73 authorizes a written notice to repair; Section 7-2.74 gives the owner four weeks to start the work before the City does it and liens the cost, and lets the Council fund and bill a portion of repairs under its Sidewalk Rehabilitation Program. Unpaid assessments become a lien recorded with the Alameda County Recorder under Section 7-2.82 and are collected on the tax roll under Section 7-2.83.