809 Center Street, Room 206
Santa Cruz, California 95060
Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 12 noon (closed Fridays)
Phone: 831-420-5100 • Fax: 831-420-5101
email
The Code Compliance Division's mission, within the Planning and Community Development Department, is to ensure a safe, clean, attractive, and healthy living environment in the City of Santa Cruz. Code Compliance's focus is on promoting health and safety in neighborhoods and increasing awareness and information about City policies, programs, and Municipal Code requirements.
Given the variety of codes that pertain to Zoning, housing and property maintenance, our main focus is education. However, our goal is compliance with the codes since we are required to enforce them. Voluntary compliance is our aim in enforcement; however, the City has financial and civil penalties for non-compliance that are authorized in Title 4 of the Municipal Code if voluntary compliance cannot be achieved.
How do I Report a Violation?
If there is a property that you think might be in violation of the City ordinances or codes, you can file a complaint with the City using one of the following methods:
- Call Code Compliance Specialist Linda Garner at 831-420-5111 for areas east of the San Lorenzo River including Lower Ocean Street, or Paige White at 831-420-5258 for areas west of the San Lorenzo River including Beach Flats; and we can mail a complaint form to you.
- Call Associate Planner/Code Compliance Specialist Nancy Concepcion at 831-420-5112 for code enforcement cases involving a planning permit.
- Download a copy of the complaint form: English or Spanish
- Come into the City Office at 809 Center Street, Room 206
PLEASE NOTE: Anonymous complaints will not be accepted. You must provide your name, address, and phone number in order for your complaint to be investigated. This information will be kept confidential.
When a complaint is received regarding a property in Santa Cruz, a Code Compliance Specialist will visit the site and verify the code violation. Life safety issues will be inspected within 2-5 business days. If a violation does exist at the site, a Courtesy Notice or Notice of Violation will be mailed. The Courtesy Notice or Notice of Violation will explain the violation and provide a date for it to be corrected. The name and telephone number of the Code Compliance Specialist is also provided to encourage contact for any questions or additional information. Most violations are abated within 30 days; however, in some cases the violation may take longer to abate.
Enforcement Priorities
Your complaints/concerns are important to us. We will assign priority to life and safety issues first as we work through our list of complaints. For a status report on your complaint, please call the Code Compliance Division at 831-420-5100.