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City of Anaheim PLANNING DEPARTMENT 200 S. Anaheim Blvd. Suite #525 Anaheim, CA 92805 Tel: (714) 765-5158 Fax: (714) 765-4044 www.anaheim.net This letter is to inform owners of rental housing and motel properties in the City of Anaheim about the implementation of a new program to ensure all multi-family residential and motel guest units comply with basic Code standards. On February 25, 2014 the City Council adopted Ordinance 6297 which created the Anaheim Quality Rental Housing Program. The goal of this program is to provide safe and healthy homes for all residents living in rental units. On March 21, 2017 the City Council adopted Ordinance 6403 to amend Chapter 15.70 of the Anaheim Municipal Code to include a Quality Motel Inspection Program with processes and goals similar to the Quality Rental Housing Program to provide for inspections of motels that serve as long-term housing for individuals and families. The City is implementing this program on a geographic basis, from west to east. Based on the location of your property referenced above, you are required to participate in the program. History has shown us that when rental buildings and motels are not properly maintained, they generally create negative impacts on the surrounding businesses, neighborhoods and property values. In addition, the quality of life for households living in these units is poor. Through this program, the City seeks to identify and abate substandard housing units and motels, while minimizing inconvenience and expenses for owners who properly maintain their rental and motel properties. This program requires all owners of property which have two or more units on the property or motels which have within any three consecutive months claimed occupancies of 30 days or more exemption from their transient occupancy tax on ten percent (10%) or more of the motel guest units, to self certify that the units are in compliance with the State Health and Safety codes related to housing. The first step of this process will be for owners to complete and return the attached Declaration of Compliance form and Ownership Information form within 60 days from the date of this letter. There is no fee required and you may be eligible to self-certify to participate in this program. No fees will be imposed when owners properly maintain their units. However, failure to submit the required documents within 60 days or fail to comply with code will result in further enforcement action, up to and including civil citations and/or imposition of re-inspection fees. If an owner submits the forms on time and certifies all of the units are safe and secure, the City will view the exterior of the property. If no significant code violations are observed and none were reported and validated in the last 12 months, the property will be certified and a Compliance Certificate issued. The Certificate will be valid for a period of five years. ---PAGE BREAK--- However, if violations are observed on the exterior of the building or the property, the City will request to “spot check” one or more units on the site to confirm that the interior of units are free of housing violations. In addition, if a housing violation has been documented in the prior twelve months in one or more units, the owner will be requested to allow the City to spot-check the unit(s) to ensure the violations have been abated. If health and safety violations are observed on the property and/or in individual units, the City will have the right to inspect every unit, occupied or not, to ensure any and all health and safety violations related to housing are identified and abated. If compliance is not reached pursuant to this program, re-inspection fees and/or fines from $500-$1,000 per day per violation may be imposed, as well as criminal prosecution. An Appeals Board has been created to ensure that owners (and tenants) can turn to a group of residents, apartment and motel management professionals if the City’s actions to implement this program are perceived as overreaching, unfair, or inappropriate. Each bill for a citation fine and/or re-inspection fees, notice of intent to inspect or notice of violation will outline the appeals procedure. If you should have questions regarding the declaration, deadline to submit or overall program, please contact the undersigned officer. As a reminder, you have 60 days to complete and return the Declaration of Compliance form and Ownership Information form to 200 S. Anaheim Blvd. Suite #525, Anaheim, CA. 92805, to avoid further enforcement action, including fines and fees. I thank you for your cooperation and working with the City to ensure every resident in Anaheim can live in a secure and safe home. Sincerely, Code Enforcement Officer