Barstow, Cal., Code of Ordinances ch. 5.91 § 5.91.080

(a) As a condition of exercising the privilege of renting or teasing a rental property to any person and/or entity, the owner of any dwelling unit considered rental property per this Code which is located in the city shall register with the city for an annual rental permit.
(b) All dwelling units that are considered rental property per this Code which are located in the city shall be subject to an initial inspection upon submittal of an annual rental permit application, and an annual inspection thereafter by the building official or his/her designee for compliance with all applicable laws. The intent of the inspections shall be limited to the scope stated in section 5.91.020 to verify compliance with the Barstow Municipal Code and/or California Building Code and/or California Fire Codes in regard to housing, building, land use, and property maintenance codes
(c) If the owner of rental property fails to register or reregister such units in compliance with this chapter, the building official shall register or reregister said units in the name of the owner and set a date and time for initial inspection of said units, and shall send written notification to the owner that the property has been so registered and advising of the date and time set for inspection, accompanied with a bill for the registration/processing fee and the total initial inspection fee for each unit, and include information on the self-certification program.
(d) The city will mail out a notice of inspection along with a checklist the city will use on the inspection no less than 30 calendar days prior to the expiration of the annual rental permit.
(e) The city's designated personnel shall conduct an exterior and interior site inspection of each rental property prior to the initial issuance of an annual rental permit or prior to the annual issuance of a renewal annual rental permit, unless specifically indicated elsewhere. The scope of the inspection shall include, but is not limited to:
(1) Exterior property maintenance and cleanliness
(2) Landscape maintenance in accordance with the Barstow Municipal Code;
(3) Land use such as off-street parking requirements, storage of inoperative vehicles and accessory structure and uses related to unpermitted business;
(4) Maintenance and upkeep of the primary structure such as windows, paint, stucco, weather protection, roof and other architectural features and accessory structures such as sheds, cabanas, trash enclosures, etc.
(5) An interior inspection to ensure compliance with this Code, as well as the Barstow Municipal Code, California Residential Code and the Uniform Building Code. No interior inspection shall take place without the consent of the owner, their authorized representative, or tenant, unless the building inspector or their designee has an inspection warrant or upon exigent circumstances
(f) Annual rental permit initial application and annual renewal inspections. A rental property seeking either an initial or annual renewal rental permit shall require an inspection conducted within 30 calendar days after the submittal of an annual rental permit application or within 30 days of expiration of the annual rental permit and one compliance re-inspection conducted within 14 calendar days after a failed initial compliance inspection. Any violation found after the compliance re-inspection or by a valid tenant complaint shall be enforced in accordance with Barstow Municipal Code or the adopted California Building and/or Fire Codes. Additionally, any re-inspections conducted after two will be charged an annual rental permit re-inspection fee as per the city's adopted master fee schedule.
(g) Notice of annual rental permit renewal inspection.
(1) Prior to an annual rental permit expiration, an annual rental permit renewal notice will be sent to the property owner.
(2) Said renewal notice will be mailed by first class mail to the owner at the owner's last known address as it appears in the rental annual permit records. In the case of multiple owners of the same rental property, notice to anyone of the property owners is sufficient notice.
(3) In the event an owner, owner's authorized representative or tenant in possession of the rental property refuses to allow access to conduct the exterior or interior inspection, city personnel and the city attorney may use all legal remedies to ensure that an inspection is conducted as required by this article.
(4) The city's building department will make reasonable arrangements to inspect the interior of the property with the owner or authorized representative's consent during reasonable times.
(h) After completion of the initial or annual renewal inspection for the annual rental permit, where the rental property fails the inspection due to having violation(s) on the property, the city shall provide a copy of the written report to the owner or the owner's authorized representative upon conclusion of the inspection. The report shall contain:
(1) An itemization of any violation(s) of the applicable laws identified during the inspection.
(2) The period of time given for correcting each of the identified violation(s).
(3) Notice that the city will re-inspect the rental property at the end of the period of time for correction.
(4) A statement that if the violation(s) are found to be out of compliance during the re-inspection, the city will not issue the annual rental permit provided under section 5.91.050 of this Code, and the city may pursue any legal remedies available to it, whether from this Code or any other applicable law, in order to abate said violations
(i) After completion of a failed initial annual rental permit inspection or a failed annual renewal annual rental permit re-inspection, a report listing the violations shall be provided to the property owner and the tenant. The database shall reflect the failed re-inspection and the matter shall be enforced under the Barstow Municipal Code to include titles 1, 6 and 15, although not excluding any portion of said Code.
(j) If no violations are found as a result of an initial or annual renewal inspection or re-inspection, the report and database shall state so, and the city shall issue the annual rental permit to the owner. All inspection reports shall be available as a public record upon request.
(k) A site that has had no violations for two consecutive years may be eligible for an automatic extension of the annual certificate of compliance. The annual fee will be reduced by 50 percent of the fee as based upon the fee schedule as adopted by the city council. An eligible extension may only be issued one time before another inspection is issued. If, after the initial two years with no violations the property shall be eligible to be inspected at two-year intervals. Upon a validated complaint, or a violation within the required inspection, the automatic extension shall cease until another two years of annual inspections occurs with no violations. The 50 percent reduction will only apply to non-inspection years.