Residential Rental Inspection Program (RRIP)

Program updates

On January 7, 2025, the Richmond City Council unanimously passed Ordinance No. 02-25 N.S., which made key changes to the program that include but are not limited to the following:

Elimination of the self-certification process;
Expansion of rental dwelling units covered under the program (including certain affordable housing units previously exempted from participation);
Mandating that all rental dwelling units be inspected every three (3) years; and,
Requiring that participants now must pay yearly registration and processing fees in addition to an inspection fee that will be charged per residential rental unit to be inspected under the program at the beginning of each three (3) year inspection cycle.

Purpose

The purpose of this Residential Rental Inspection Program is to safeguard and preserve the housing stock of decent, safe and sanitary dwelling units within the City and to protect persons entering or residing in them by providing for a regular and comprehensive system of inspection of rental dwelling units and, through such inspections and/or owner certifications, identifying and requiring the correction of substandard conditions.

Affected Rental Properties

6.40.040 - Scope.

(a) The provisions of this chapter shall apply to all existing residential rental dwelling units located within the City limits including parking lots, driveways, landscaping, accessory structures, and fences.

(b) The provisions of this chapter shall be supplementary and complementary to all of the provisions of this Code, State law, and any law cognizable at common law or equity, and nothing herein shall be construed, read, or interpreted in any manner so as to limit any existing right or power of the City to abate and prosecute any and all nuisances or to enforce any other conditions in violation of State or local codes, including, but not limited to, any building, housing, property maintenance and public nuisance ordinances.

Exemptions summary
Refer to Section 6.40.050 - Exemptions for the complete text.
(a) Mobile Home Parks.
(b) Vacant Properties.
(c) Transient Lodging.
(d) Newly Constructed Buildings or Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).
(e) Units Occupied by Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Tenants.

General Information

Program Fees
- Refer to RCM Chapter 6.40 for the fee description
- Refer to the Current Fee Schedule for the current fees under BUILDING REGULATIONS -- Miscellaneous Fees

Tenant Information

The City cannot provide legal advice to tenants, owners, private citizens, and groups. A list of resources is provided below to assist tenants and owners. This Resource Guide available in English and Spanish:

How to report an Inspection Issue

You should first report the issue to your owner or property manager to give them an opportunity to fix the problem. It is recommended that you report the issue to the landlord or property manager both by telephone and in writing. Be sure to specifically describe the problem in your request. If no action is taken to correct the problem after a reasonable amount of time has passed, you may contact the Residential Rental Inspection Program for assistance either by telephone, by mail, or by regular mail (see contact information below). The building inspector or permit technician that you speak with will take your information and, if necessary, open a residential rental inspection case for follow-up.

Please be ready to provide the following information:

• Your name
• Property address, including unit #
• Telephone number and/or email address
• Description of the needed repair or problem
• Whether the problem was reported to the owner or property manager and approximate dates
• The name and contact information of the person you reported the problem to
• Describe how the problem was reported to the landlord or property manager (in person, by phone, and/or in writing). Provide copies of any written correspondence to date
• Describe any action taken so far by the owner, manager, maintenance staff or contractor/repair technician to date to fix the problem

Violations, Enforcement and Penalties

Property owners will be issued an inspection fail notice for each rental unit, listing the specific substandard conditions in need of correction. The notice will provide a specified date/time in which all fail items must be corrected by for re-inspection to verify compliance. Property owners are responsible for obtaining the proper permits for all work and repairs, as required by the Building Division. If, upon re-inspection, the property owner has not complied with the inspection fail notice, the City will initiate a code enforcement action. The purpose of the enforcement action is to ensure that the property is brought into compliance. Typical enforcement action includes, but is not limited to, assessment of administrative citations, charging of re-inspection fees, and actual abatement of the violation(s). All costs for abatement will be billed to the property owner and may result in a lien on the property if not paid. The timing to comply will vary based on the violation identified. Shorter time frames may be appropriate for life safety violations (e.g., unstable stairs, exposed electrical wiring) and longer timeframes given for non-safety violations (e.g., peeling paint, damaged flooring).

To request and obtain an inspection report, property owners and tenants can call 510-690-8260 or email RichmondRRIP@ci.richmond.ca.us.

Program Forms

Property Owner Information Form (enrollment and disenrollment)
Current list of checklist items
Proposed inspection checklist (for reference and input)

Program Contact Information

Mail:

Richmond Rental Inspection Program
PO Box 2089
Richmond, CA 94802-1089

Phone:

(510) 690-8260

Email:

RichmondRRIP@ci.richmond.ca.us

In-person:

Building Division
450 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor
Richmond, CA 94804

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