Important notice for owners or managers of residential rental properties in the County of Sacramento
How to Comply with the
Rental Housing Inspection Program
The County of Sacramento adopted an ordinance in 2008 establishing the Rental Housing Inspection Program (RHIP). Under this
program, every residential rental property within the unincorporated area of Sacramento County must be registered and inspected to
assure its overall quality meets the requirements of the State of California Health and Safety Code.
Since the inception of the program, many residential properties have changed ownership, and new owners may not be aware of the
Rental Housing Inspection Program. Since failure to comply with the ordinance may result in significant fines, this courtesy notice is
intended to inform new rental owners about the program. Additional information, including a copy of the ordinance and all required
forms, are available on the County of Sacramento website under Rental Housing Inspection Program at www.saccounty.net.
Checklist to comply with inspection program:
 Register your rental property with the County of Sacramento
The County of Sacramento requires the registration of every rental property for two reasons: 1) government agencies need your
contact information in case of an emergency regarding your property, and 2) the County needs to know who will perform the
inspections required by the ordinance. Register your property online on the County website, or call or email the Code Enforcement
Division to request the RHIP Registration Form (see below for phone and email address).
 Determine whether your property is exempt from inspections
The following properties are exempt from the inspection requirements: newly constructed within the past five years, public housing
owned or operated by the Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), or subject to the federal Housing Choice Voucher
Program may be exempt from the inspection requirement. If eligible, submit the RHA Application for Exemption form. Owners of
exempt properties are still required to register and pay the annual Rental Housing Code Compliance Fee.
 Pay the annual Rental Housing Code Compliance Fee
The annual Rental Housing Code Compliance Fee is billed through the County Utility Billing Department and appears on the utility
bill for the property. The current annual fee is $15.50 per rental dwelling unit, but is subject to change by the Board of Supervisors.
Even if you have been billed this fee, you may not be properly registered with the Rental Housing Inspection Program.
 Complete the inspection certification course
Individuals must be certified to perform the inspections required by the ordinance unless the individual is the owner of record. To
become certified, individuals must complete a course approved by the County of Sacramento on how to conduct property
inspections. Recertification training is required every five years. Training is available through the Rental Housing Association, a
non-profit organization serving rental owners and managers. The course fee is $39 for either the online or classroom course.
 Perform required initial and annual inspections
Perform an interior and exterior inspection of every rental unit at the beginning of every new tenancy and annually during the
tenancy. Record the inspection using the RHIP Interior Inspection Checklist and RHIP Exterior Inspection Checklist available from
the County of Sacramento website. Provide a copy of the completed forms to your renters. You may request that the County of
Sacramento perform these inspections for a fee. Contact the County for the current fee schedule.
 Provide your renters with the Residents Rights form
Provide your renters with the Residents Rights form at the beginning of each tenancy. The form is available on the County of
Sacramento website. Retain copies of the completed form in case of an audit by the County.
 Comply with random audits by the County of Sacramento
County officials may conduct compliance audits of rental properties, including a review of the inspection checklists and an exterior
inspection from the public right-of-way. County officials may conduct a physical inspection of the property if there are problems
with the documentation or visible code violations on the property exterior.
Code Enforcement Division
9700 Goethe Road, Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95827
(916) 876-9020 fax (916) 874-8409
RHIP@saccounty.net www.saccounty.net
Rental Housing Association
191 Lathrop Way, Suite A, Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 920-1120 fax (916) 929-0655
registration@RHA.org www.RHA.org
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