Code Enforcement

General

The Building and Code Enforcement Division is responsible for enforcing the provisions of the California Building Standards Code as well as the City of East Palo Alto Municipal Code that includes quality of life and neighborhood quality issues such as:

• Junk, debris, and garbage on private property
• Illegal or unpermitted signs
• Illegal or unpermitted construction
• Illegal garage conversions, additions and structures
• Miscellaneous zoning violations
• Illegal or unpermitted fences
• Weed abatement
• Business license enforcement
• Illegal or unpermitted home-based business
• RV parking / storage complaints on private property
• Vector control issues (flies, mosquitoes, etc.)

How to file a complaint

If a citizen is concerned about the above on a particular property, please complete a complaint form and submit the form to the Code Enforcement Division via email to codeenforcement@cityofepa.org. 

The Building Code Enforcement Complaint Form can also be mailed or dropped off at:

Community Economic Development Department

Building Code Enforcement Division

ATTN: Code Enforcement

1960 Tate Street

East Palo Alto, CA 94303

In order for a complaint to be processed by the Building Code Enforcement Division, a complaint form shall include at least two of the following:

• Complainant name
• Phone number
• Home address

A code enforcement complain form will not be processed without any contact information for the following reasons:

• It is the Division's policy to require contact information for all complaints filed with the Division.
• The Code Enforcement Officer may need to request additional information or clarification from the complainant. 

Exception: A code enforcement complaint form will be taken in for processing if the complaint is a Priority One case as described below that includes immediate or identifiable threat to health, safety or the environment. 

For general inquiries regarding code enforcement, please contact us via email or call us during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.) by dialing 650-853-3189.

Parking Enforcement

Please contact the East Palo Alto Police Department at 650-853-3160 for issues related to parked vehicles on the streets.

Code Enforcement Priorities

Code enforcement complaints will be investigated based on priority set forth below and as staff resources permit.

Priority One: Imminent/Immediate threat to health, safety, or environmental resources. Priority One violations are those actions which require immediate attention to address a significant threat or threats to public health and safety or to environmental resources. Examples of such violations include but are not limited to:

• Housing conditions where faulty structural, electrical systems, gas fuel systems, and/or  lack of sanitary facilities and other violations of the California Health and Safety Code  and/or Title 8 of the East Palo Alto Municipal Code, or violations of conditions of approval, such as noise or traffic mitigations, specifically designed to protect the public exist and pose an immediate threat to public health, welfare or safety.
• Significant environmental issues including, but not limited to, dumping of hazardous materials, alteration of Baylands and/or San Francisquito Creek, removal of significant  vegetation, and grading in environmentally sensitive areas.

Response Time: Staff will respond within one (1) business day after a complaint is received.

Priority Two- Potential threat to health, safety, or environmental resources.Priority Two violations are those actions that have the potential to cause damage to the public health and safety or to the environment:

• Violations in this category are essentially the same as Priority One, except that the potential for damage does not pose an immediate threat to public health, welfare or safety.
• Generally this means that property owners may implement immediate repairs and/or mitigation measures that reduce the immediate threat.
• Failure to fully address the potential threats will often result in the enforcement action escalating to a Priority One case.

The City shall not accept anonymous complaints for Priority Two matters. Furthermore, the City shall not accept any more than five complaints at a time from one individual complainant for Priority Two matters. In the form, please provide as much detailed information as possible to help expedite the processing and the closing of the case.

Priority Three-Technical code violations. Priority Three violations are those violations that do not pose an imminent or potential threat to the public health or safety or the environment, but which may, if not abated, compromise the welfare of the community and reduce the quality of life for residents and businesses:  

• Violations in this category include activities which are violations of various municipal and zoning codes, but pose no near-term threat to the public health and safety or the environment.
• Violations might include illegally parked vehicles, debris accumulation on properties, sign code violations and various other zoning code violations.
• If Priority Three violations are noted in conjunction with Priority One or Two cases, compliance efforts will include Priority Three issues as well.

The City shall not accept anonymous complaints for Priority Three matters. Furthermore, the City shall not accept any more than five complaints at a time from one individual complainant for Priority Three matters.

Response Time: Staff will address Priority Three issues as time allows and circumstances demand when complaints are received. Staff may, however, in coordination with other partners and the community, choose to emphasize enforcement on a certain issue (e.g., neighborhood parking, setback violation). 

Implementation & Methods of Enforcement

Establishment of these Priorities for Code Enforcement shall not be construed as a waiver or limitation on the City's ability to pursue any and all violations of building, fire, and zoning codes to the full extent allowed by law. City code enforcement officers may use a variety of methods to gain compliance from property owners, tenants, business owners and others with the East Palo Alto Municipal Code and state law. Potential code enforcement actions include, but are not limited to, working cooperatively with applicants/owner to obtain voluntary compliance, requiring appropriate permits be obtained, withholding, suspending to revoking City issued permits, levying fines and fees, recordation of notices of violation, issuing criminal complaints, taking abatement actions to remove or correct violations, initiating civil lawsuits (e.g., injunctions, placing a property into receivership), and other remedies as permitted by law.

Tenant-Related Issues

For tenant related issues, including evictions, rent increases, other, please see the city's Rent Stabilization Program. Landlords who seek to evict tenants must do so in compliance with the requirements of the Rent Stabilization and Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance.

Recology Bulk Collection Program

Residential customers of Recology may request two curbside bulk item collections per calendar year at no additional charge from Recology.  If you are a resident of the City, a Recology customer, and looking to remove unwanted items from your property, please visit Recology’s website at www.recologysanmateocounty.com for more information.