Rental Housing Safety Program (RHSP)

If you own rental property in Berkeley, keep your tenants healthy and safe by making sure your units meet the standards set by the Berkeley Housing Code. Use our checklist to self-inspect your units each year. By following the checklist, you will be prepared in case your property is randomly inspected for a proactive inspection.

Proactive inspection of randomly sElected properties

The City randomly selects residential rental properties for inspections. The inspections are comprehensive and include the selected units, common areas, and exterior of the property to verify they meet the Berkeley Housing Code. If your property is selected for inspection:

1. The property owner and tenant of selected units will be notified of the upcoming inspection by a mailed Notice of Intent to Inspect. The notice is mailed to the address of the responsible party according to the Alameda County Assessor’s Office and to the account holder. It is the responsibility of the property owner to update Alameda County of their current mailing address.
2. On the day of the inspection, the housing inspector will inspect the property to verify the property meets the applicable California Building Standards Code requirements, such as the correct location and operability of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, egress from sleeping areas, and the presence of GFCI outlets in required locations.
3. If no violations or deficiencies are observed, the inspector will close the case and issue a Certificate of Compliance. If violations or deficiencies are identified, written notice will be mailed describing the violation and providing a reinspection date.
4. All cited violations must be corrected by the reinspection date.
5. If violations are corrected, the inspector will close the case and issue a Certificate of Compliance. If violations are not corrected, the property owner may be subject to further enforcement and may be charged for this and future inspections in accordance with the fee schedule. 

Ensure your rental properties meet housing safety standards

If you own a residential property that you rent out, you are responsible for ensuring that your units meet housing safety standards. The housing safety standards are listed in the RHSP Self-Certification Checklist (SCC). 

Self-inspect your units annually by July 1

Owners of rental properties are required to inspect their units by July 1 each year. Use the RHSP Self-Certification Checklist (SCC) to guide your self-inspection. Share a copy of the completed form with your tenant(s) and keep a copy for your records. You do not need to send the form to the City of Berkeley unless the tenant refuses entry for the inspection to be performed or if requested to by the City.

If the City performs an inspection of your rental housing, they will request to see your completed RHSP Self-Certification Checklist (SCC) from the most recent year. If you are not able to provide a completed checklist, you may be issued a citation, with fines starting at $200 per unit or room.

You may perform your inspection remotely using the guidance in the Performing Remote Self-Certification Inspection document. If a tenant refuses entry to the unit or to participate in the remote inspection and you are unable to perform the inspection, notify the City by checking the “unable to inspect” box on the RHSP Self-Certification Checklist (SCC) and send it to the Housing Code Inspections/Rental Housing Safety Program office.

In place of performing the yearly self-inspection you may request that the City conduct the inspection by completing an Owner Request for Inspection form.  More information on requesting an inspection can be found on the Housing Code Inspections page.

Answers to questions about the Rental Housing Safety Program and the RHSP Self-Certification Checklist (SCC) can be found under Frequently Asked Questions.  Contact information, including location and hours for our office can be found on the Housing Code Inspections page.

Rental Housing Safety Program ANNUAL Fee

If you own a rental property, you will be sent a bill each year in October for the RHSP per unit/room fee. Check the fee schedule to see the amount you will be billed. You must pay the fee within 30 days of receiving the bill.

Payments for the yearly RHSP per unit/room fees can be made in the following ways:

• Online:
  Visit Citizen Serve Online Portal.
  Go to "Rental Housing Safety Program," and select "Pay RHSP annual fee"

• By mail:
  City of Berkeley
  RHSP Payments
  1947 Center Street, 3rd Floor
  Berkeley, CA 94704

• Drop Box:
  A drop off is available Monday-Friday from 8:30am-5:30pm at 1947 Center Street.
  The drop box is located just to the left of the from entrance by the service elevator.

Claim an owner or vacancy exemption

If you believe the fee does not apply to you because your unit is occupied by the owner or family member, has been non-rental or vacant for at least a year, or you sold the unit prior to July 1st, complete an Exemption/Correction form and submit the form with payment, less the amount of claimed exemption(s).

• Online go to Citizen Serve Online Portal. Under Navigate Our City, select "Submit exemptions to your RHSP annual account."
• By email: rhspbilling@berkeleyca.gov
• By mail:
  City of Berkeley 
  Rental Housing Safety Program
  1947 Center Street, 3rd Fl.
  Berkeley, CA 94704

You can find more details about the yearly RHSP per unit/room fees in our Frequently Asked Questions.

Unit verification for exemption requests

Exemption requests based on claims of vacancy or owner occupancy must be verified by a housing inspector. These exemptions stay in effect until a future inspection shows the unit no longer qualifies.

Inspections are scheduled as soon as staff are available. If the inspector cannot access the unit, the exemption request will be canceled. The annual fee may then be reinstated, and penalties could apply.