So You Think Your House Has a Code Violation…

Before going to the county, ask your landlord to fix it. The county process has a high success
rate, but it takes longer and can sour your relationship with your landlord. If your landlord is
unresponsive, unwilling to pay out of pocket, or just isn’t getting the job done in a way that
works for you, then move on to filing a Building Complaint.

Step 1: Confirm There’s a Legal Basis for Your Complaint

Before filing anything, make sure the issue actually qualifies as a code violation. You have two
good options:

• Check the SB County Building Code yourself at www.countyofsb.org/1001/Building-Code and see if your living conditions match any listed violations.
• Get your lease and situation reviewed for free at the UCSB Legal Resource Center: https://legal.as.ucsb.edu/. Their lawyers can tell you whether you have a solid legal basis for a complaint.

Once you’ve confirmed something is actually wrong with your house and that the county has
jurisdiction to force your landlord to fix it, you’re ready to file.

Step 2: File the Building Complaint Form

Go to the SB County Building Complaint Form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2R7T5L2

Here’s what the form will ask for:

• Your name and contact information. All of this stays confidential from your landlord, so don’t hesitate to fill it in completely.
• Your house’s Assessor Parcel Number (APN), if you know it. You can look this up by entering your street name and house number at https://www.sbcvote.com/assessor/assessorparcelmap.aspx and clicking search.
• A description of the alleged violation. Cite the specific SB County building codes that your house’s conditions violate (either the ones you identified yourself or the ones the Legal Resource Center flagged for you).
• Photos. Attach plenty of them. Visual evidence of the violations makes a big difference.

The Follow-Up

A few things to keep in mind before you submit:

• Do not have your parents file on your behalf. The complaint needs to come from you, the tenant.
• The county cannot inspect your house until you confirm the report via email or phone. They will reach out to you, so keep an eye on your inbox and answer unknown numbers.

What Happens Next

Once your report is confirmed, the county takes over:

1. The county contacts your landlord. Your landlord is legally obligated to give code enforcement staff permission to inspect the property.
2. The inspection happens. A code enforcement officer will come out and assess the violations.
3. Your landlord has 30 days to fix any violations found. If they don’t, the county will assess heavy fines that continue until the problems are resolved.

That’s the whole process. It takes some patience, but it does work. If you have any questions or
want help walking through any of this, reach out to IVTU. That’s why we exist.