City of Davis, CA

The City of Davis Municipal Code was established to help maintain a standard in the community for all to enjoy, and is enforced by the Davis Police Department's Code Enforcement Officer. 

The Code Compliance Program, managed by the Davis Police Department, is a citizen-based program that inspects and investigates complaints from citizens of the City of Davis. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Code Enforcement Officer will conduct a site visit to investigate the reported violation. After confirmation of the violation, the Code Enforcement Officer will take necessary steps to gain compliance with City Codes.

Steps Involved In Enforcing Code Compliance

1. A complaint is received by the Police Department. 
2. If the complaint can be substantiated and cannot be corrected at the time of the Code Enforcement Officer's visit, a Notice of Violation (written warning) is mailed to the property owner and/or tenants. The Notice of Violation will state that the City received a complaint related to a potential violation on the property. The notice will state that if the complaint is correct, the violation must be corrected and state a deadline to correct. The Code Enforcement Officer will verify that the complaint has been corrected with a site visit on the written deadline. 
3. A re-inspection will be made on the due date listed in the Notice of Violation. If the violation was corrected, the case will be recorded in the Code Enforcement Database and closed. If the violation has not been corrected, a $100 Administrative Citation will be imposed. Re-inspections will be made and additional citations will be issued for everyday (or other deadline) the violation is not corrected. The 2nd Administrative Citation is $200, and any subsequent violations are $500 each.  
4. If an additional complaint involving the same issue and same property is received within a 12-month period, the Code Enforcement Officer will make a site visit to verify the violation and a $100 Administrative Citation may be imposed. Re-inspections will be made and additional citations will be issued for everyday (or other deadline) the violation is not corrected. The 2^nd citation is $200, and any subsequent violations are $500 each.

Code Violations

The most common code violations in the City of Davis are those that are in public view. While there are many possible code violations, there are some that occur more frequently than others. Below is a list of the most common code violations in the City of Davis. You can view the City of Davis Municipal Codes online.

• Uncontrolled grass or weeds in public view lacking regular maintenance
• Cars parked on the lawn on other unimproved surface
• Garbage/trash scattered around the property
• Indoor furniture in the front of the property in public view (indoor couches in front yard)
• Dilapidated or inoperative vehicles parked on private property and in public view
• Green waste piles blocking bike lanes
• Loud noise from parties

Note: For emergencies requiring law enforcement, fire, and/or medical response, please dial 911.

Who is Responsible for Property Maintenance & Correcting Code Violations?

The property owner is responsible for ensuring that code violations are corrected. However, the property tenants may also have an obligation (through the rental agreement) to keep the property in good condition and free from code violations. Under California Civil Code Sections 1928 and 2941.2, tenants are required to take reasonable care of the rented property. The tenant is responsible for damages caused by him/her or anyone else for which he/she is responsible (e.g. children and guests) that result from neglect or abuse. The landlord is responsible for repairing conditions that seriously affect the rental unit’s habitability. For less serious repairs, responsibility for repairs is often determined by the rental agreement.

To Request a Code Compliance Investigation

Code Compliance investigations are initiated on a complaint basis. It is City of Davis’ policy to make every effort to keep the complainants information anonymous. However, the party must provide their name, address, and phone number before action is taken. To request a code compliance investigation, please begin by doing one of the following:

• Use the GO Davis citizen request management system that provides a 24/7 reporting system for items such as Code Enforcement investigation's.
• Call the Code Enforcement Hotline at (530) 757-5646 and leave a detailed message including the address of the property, a detailed description of the code violation, and the name, address, and phone number of the reporting party.