Residential Rental Inspection Program (RRIP)

Tenant Information

The City cannot provide legal advice to tenants, owners, private citizens, and groups. A list of resources is provided below to assist tenants and owners. This Resource Guide available in English and Spanish:

• Resource Guide in English
• Guía de Recursos en Español

How to report an Inspection Issue

You should first report the issue to your owner or property manager to give them an opportunity to fix the problems. It is recommended that you report the issue to the landlord or property manager both by telephone and in writing. Be sure to specifically describe the problem in your request. If no action is taken to correct the problem after a reasonable amount of time has passed, you may contact the Residential Rental Inspection Program for assistance either by telephone, by mail, or by regular mail (see contact information below). The building inspector or permit technician that you speak with will take your information and, if necessary open a residential rental inspection case for follow up.

Please be ready to provide the following information:

• Your name
• Property address, including unit #
• Telephone number and/or email address
• Description of the needed repair or problem
• Whether the problem was reported to the owner or property manager and approximate dates
• The name and contact information of the person you reported the problem to
• Describe how the problem was reported to the landlord or property manager (in person, by phone, and/or in writing). Provide copies of any written correspondence to date
• Describe any action taken so far by the owner, manager, maintenance staff or contractor/repair technician to date to fix the problem

Para ayuda en español, por favor contacte a Soco Montore al 510-620-6705

Contact Information:
Planning & Building Services Department
Attn: Residential Rental Inspection Program
450 Civic Center Plaza, 2nd Floor
Richmond, CA 94804
(510) 690-8260
Or via email at RichmondRRIP@ci.richmond.ca.us

Violations, Enforcement and Penalties

According to the Residential Rental Inspection Program Ordinance No. 03-15 N.S., whenever it is determined by the Inspector that a violation of this chapter exists, the inspector shall issue a written notice of violation. The notice shall contain a description of the violation, the specific action required to correct the violation and a demand that the violations be corrected within the specific time period listed in the notice. The inspector may grant a one-time extension of the initial time to abate the violations upon written request of the owner, if (1) substantial work has been satisfactorily completed (at least 85% of the violations identified in the notice of violation); and (2) the violation is not a life safety issue. In no event shall the initial time to correct exceed one hundred twenty (120) days, nor shall any extension of time exceed sixty (60) days. If, after a notice of violation has been issued, the owner fails to abate the violations, the City may proceed with all remedies available under the Richmond Municipal Code to compel compliance, including, but not limited to, issuing administrative citations, abatement proceedings, civil injunction and/or criminal prosecution, or any combination of remedies, as more specifically set forth in the RMC Section 6.40.100.