Cal. Civ. Code § 17995.1
California Health and Safety Code
Operative Text
Any person who is convicted pursuant to Section 17995 for a second or subsequent time within a five-year period for violations at the same property shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) or by imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.
California Health & Safety Code § 17995.1 establishes an escalated penalty for repeat housing-code offenders. When a person is convicted under Section 17995 more than once within a five-year window for violations occurring at the same property, the law authorizes a fine of up to $5,000, a jail term of up to six months, or both. The provision is specifically triggered by the combination of repeat convictions, the same property, and the five-year timeframe.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17995.1, property owners and managers who have already faced a conviction under Section 17995 face significantly steeper consequences if a second or subsequent conviction arises from the same property within five years. Compliant operators generally address cited violations promptly and maintain ongoing documentation of repairs and inspections to demonstrate good-faith efforts. Keeping a clear record of remediation activity at each property is a practice commonly associated with avoiding the repeat-violation pattern this statute targets.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Cal. Health & Safety Code § 17995.1 reflects California's intent to hold landlords accountable when housing-code violations at a single property persist or recur over time. Tenants who are aware of ongoing or unresolved violations at their property may report conditions to their local code enforcement agency, which can initiate the investigative process that underlies prosecutions under this statute. Tenant-rights organizations and local rent boards can be useful resources for understanding how code enforcement complaints are filed and what protections may be available to tenants who raise habitability concerns.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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