Children's Environmental Health
San Francisco Health Code, Article 11 (Nuisances)
Residential Health Code Violations
Children's Environmental Health Promotion Program
Hotel & Emergency Shelter Program
Phone: (415) 252-3800
Fax: (415) 252-3930
Yes. Effective September 1, 2008, the San Francisco Health Code authorized the Department of Public Health to collect an annual fee to defray costs necessary to implement a program to ensure that apartment buildings are in compliance with vector (pest) control, sanitation and health standards.
Beginning in January 2009 Environmental Health Staff inspect portions of apartment buildings with three or more occupied rental units to ensure that adequate levels of sanitation are being maintained by the property owners. More specifically, trained technicians look at common areas, yards, garbage storage areas and lobbies for signs of infestations from disease-causing vectors such as rodents, mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and wild birds, as well as readily identified lead and asbestos hazards or other health code violations. Staff will provide advice on pest prevention, as well as printed materials on a variety of healthy housing topics. The Healthy Housing Program's goal is to inspect each building once every 3 years. The fee also covers the costs of complaint investigation visits plus one re-inspection visit per year which would otherwise be charged at the current Environmental Health Inspector Hourly Rate.
The owners of record will receive a letter from the Healthy Housing program staff at least 10 days prior to an inspection, allowing for confirmation or re-scheduling to a mutually convenient time. Inspections of common areas may also be performed as part of a complaint investigation visit.
The fee is based on the number of rental units. "Rental unit" means a dwelling unit, as that term is defined by Section 401 of the San Francisco Building Code, which is rented of offered for rental at any time during the year, whether rent is paid in money, goods, or services.
Fees are adjusted each year to reflect actual costs of running the program and to ensure all owners are paying a relatively equivalent share of fee per rental unit.
If the information regarding the number of rental units is incorrect on your bill, indicate the correct number of units and pay the appropriate fee based on that number. DPH staff will verify the information at a later date. If less than 3 units are being rented or is intended to be rented at any Healthy Housing and Vector Control Program time during the year, your property is exempt from this ordinance and from any fee. You must sign and date the certification statement at the bottom of the bill page and return it to us.
No. If less than 3 units are being rented or is intended to be rented at any time during the year, your property is exempt from this ordinance and from any fee. However, you need to indicate the number of rental units and the number of owner-occupied units on your bill. You must sign and date the certification statement at the bottom of the bill page and return it to us. Once we received your information, we will exempt your invoice, but you will still receive our invoice annually.
No. However, you need to indicate your building is TIC on you bill and submit the TIC proof along with the signed invoice to our program. TIC proof could be the Notification of Individual Assessed Valued for Tenancy-In-Common (TIC) Units from the Office of the Assessor-Recorder, property tax bill that shows TIC homeowner exemption, or TIC agreement. We will exempt your property from our program if the TIC proof is received.
No. However, you need to indicate your building is Condo on your bill and submit the Condo proof along with the signed invoice to our program. Condo proof could be Condominium Grand Deed, Condo conversion document from Department of Public Work, or documents from the Office of the Assessor-Recorder. We will exempt your property from our program if the Condo proof is received.
No. However, you need to indicate your building is commercial on your bill and submit the business permit along with the signed invoice to our program. Business permits should show the address of each unit number. We will exempt your property from our program if commercial proof is received.
If there are less than 3 rental units, you don't need to pay the fee. However, you need to indicate the number of rental units and the number of commercial units on your bill. You also need to submit the business permit of the commercial unit along with the signed invoice to our program. We will exempt your property from our program if your proof is received. If there are more than 3 rental units, indicate the correct number of rental units and the number of commercial units, and pay the appropriate fee based on the number of rental units. You must sign and date the certification statement at the bottom of the bill page and return it to us. Once we received your information, we will exempt your invoice, but you will still receive our invoice annually.
If you were the owner during the billing cycle, you are responsible for the bill. If you were not the owner during the billing cycle, please indicate you have sold the building and the escrow date. It will be helpful if you can provide the new owner's name and mailing address.
Our system may not reflect changes made to your mailing address through other city departments or through City Hall. To change your mailing address in our system, please send a letter or call our office to request change of mailing address. You need to provide your property address, block and Lot number, or invoice number for account reference.
Circumstances change and your signature certifies that the information we have on file for the property is still correct, or, should be updated to reflect the new information that you provide.
The Department is authorized to collect unpaid fees by placing a LIEN on the property for the amount owed plus late fees and interest at the rate of one and one half percent (1.5%) per month. You will be notified before any lien is placed on your property as required by law.
Yes. Check your invoice for the due date. If you pay the fee after 30 days of the due date, you must include a late payment penalty of $10. If you pay the fee after 60 days of the due date, you must include an addition late payment penalty of $20, (a total of $30.)
You cam pay online through our Healthy Housing secure payment portal.
You may also submit payment by check or Money Order made payable to the "San Francisco Health Department" and mailed to
San Francisco Department of Public Health
49 South Van Ness Ave, Suite 600
San Francisco, CA 94103
You can also make an in-person payment at the Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness Ave, 2nd floor.
For complaints about vector control call or visit 311 to have your complaint recorded and routed correctly to Environmental Health. If you are calling from a cell phone or outside the county, dial (415) 701-2311.
- Service 24x7
San Francisco Department of Public Health Environmental Health Branch