Barstow, Cal., Code of Ordinances ch. 5.91 § 5.91.030

For the purpose of this article, unless otherwise apparent from their context, certain words and phrases used in this article shall have the meanings hereinafter designated. The definitions in this article are included for reference purposes only and are intended to define the terms used in this article in relation to the rental inspection requirements.
Annual rental permit means the annual permit issued per rental property after the property has successfully passed a rental property inspection performed by city building inspectors and successfully complied with all other applicable laws, including payment of all applicable fees.
Applicable laws means and includes all federal, state and local statutes, ordinances and regulations that pertain to the condition, habitability and safety of dwelling units and residential property. Applicable laws, include, but are not limited to, the State Housing Law (California Health and Safety Code, §§ 17910 et. seq.), (California Health and Safety Code, §§ 11570 et. seq.), and the Barstow Municipal Code.
Building official means the director of the building and safety department, or his/her designee who shall possess all statutorily mandated certifications to enforce state building and construction codes.
Certificate of compliance means a certificate issued by the building official for residential rental unit properties, certifying compliance with this chapter and the housing and property maintenance standards of the City of Barstow.
Dwelling unit means a single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation.
Exigent circumstances means a situation where a rental property constitutes an imminent danger to life, health, or safety.
Frequency upgrade means modifying the inspection frequency to extend the length of time between compliant inspections.
Inspection frequency means the length of time between inspections for renewal of certification of residential rental units.
Maintenance request log means the log required to be maintained by the owner or manager of a residential rental unit, which shall record all tenant requests for repairs, the time estimated at the time of the request for repairs to be completed, and the completion date of the repairs.
Major violation shall mean any one or more of the following violations: (1)
Heating system not fully operational at any time between October and April of the following year.
(2) Cooling system not fully operational at any time between May and October.
(3) Hazardous code violations, including, but not limited to any of the following:
(i) Exposed electrical wiring;
(ii) Collapsed ceiling or walls caused by water leakage;
(iii) Sewage leakage into walls, floors or onto the ground;
(iv) Structural damage resulting in the building being determined by the building official to be unsafe;
(v) Fire alarm and/or carbon monoxide alarm system not fully operational;
(vi) Firewalls damaged or not maintained.
Multi-family unit means a multifamily residential dwelling. multi-family unit is a classification of housing where three or more housing units for residential inhabitants are contained within one building or several separate buildings within one complex or site. Units can be next to each other, or stacked on top of each other. A common form of this type of housing is an apartment building.
Non-compliance with Notice and Order means that the owner, his authorized agent, or other responsible party does not make required repairs as provided in notice and order from the building official.
Occupant or tenant means any person who occupies a rental property, whether as a tenant or permittee of the owner.
Other violations means any violation other than those defined as a major violation.
Owner or property owner means any person having legal title to real property, including all individuals, partner, joint venture, stock owner, persons in care of the rental property as shown as owners on the last equalized assessment roll of the San Bernardino County Assessor's Office, or an owner's authorized representative. If more than one person or an entity owns the rental property, owner or property owner refers to each person or entity holding any kind of ownership interest in the rental property, and the property owners' obligations in this article are joint and several as to each property owner.
Owner's authorized representative means a person, agent, property owner or property management company with respect to a rental property who has the legal authority to act upon the owner's behalf with respect to the rental property.
Property management posting means a sign required to be posted and maintained at all times which shall include the address and location to obtain repair requests and a current 24-hour emergency phone number. The sign shall be posted close to the main entrance in an area accessible and visible to the general public, or as may otherwise be approved in writing by the building official.
Rental property(ies) mean(s) any single or multiple dwelling unit(s) zoned parcel, or any multiuse zoned parcel, used for occupancy by a person(s) other than the owner of the dwelling unit and is occupied or intended to be occupied for rental or lease purposes. This definition includes the exterior of the structure, and the entire legal property upon which the structure exists, including, but not limited to, all yards, parking lots, driveways, landscaped area, accessory structures, fences, walls, swimming pools, hot tubs and spas. For the purpose of this article, the following types of dwelling units or facilities are not considered rental property/dwelling/unit: (1)
Conventional hotels or motels.
(2) Accommodations in any hospital, extended care facility, residential care facility, convalescent home, nonprofit home for the aged, or dormitory that is owned and operated by an educational institution.
Repair request form means a two-part form the owner of a property must provide to all tenants. The form shall indicate the address the form is to be delivered to for repair and an area for the manager or owner to sign the receipt of the repair request. The owner shall provide a copy of the request to the tenant.
Self-certification checklist means a city-created form listing the minimum standards that landlords must use to attest that their buildings meet and accept all liability for all information they submit to the city. Any person who makes a false statement on the self-certification checklist or submits false information are accepting all liability. The city may also promulgate rules regarding which landlords, property management companies, and property managers are eligible to complete the self-certification checklist. The building official retains the authority to determine which landlords are eligible to complete the self-certification checklist based on previous information provided and/or any false information.
Single-family dwelling(SFD)/duplex means one dwelling unit in one standalone building, not including an ADU or JADU as defined in section 19.10.070 . A duplex, meaning two dwelling units in one standalone building, is treated as an SFD and not a multi-family dwelling (MFD) for the purposes of determining the number, type, and development standards of ADU/JADUs.