Rental Housing Safety Program (RHSP)

Property owners of rental housing in Berkeley are responsible for inspecting their units each year to ensure they meet housing safety standards. Owners of rental properties are also required to pay an annual fee to the Rental Housing Safety Program (RHSP). The RHSP also performs proactive inspections of randomly selected properties.

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 (Schedule A). These standards are set by the California Building Standards Code.

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 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 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 and send it to the Housing Code Enforcement/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 Enforcement Inspection page.

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

Pay the Rental Housing Safety Program Fee annually

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, and can pay by credit card or check.

• To pay by check, send a check made out to the City of Berkeley to:
  
  City of Berkeley
  Rental Housing Safety Program
  1947 Center Street, 3rd Fl.
  Berkeley, CA 94704

• You may also leave it in the drop box at the same address. This is the Permit Service Center, which is open Monday-Thursday 8:30 am-2:30 pm.

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).

• 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.

Proactive inspection of randomly sElected properties

The City randomly selects residential rental properties for inspections. The inspections are comprehensive and include the selected unit(s), common areas and exterior of the property to verify they meet the California Building Standards 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. 
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.