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Housing Problems

Environmental Health Services

Renters – How to File a Complaint

To file a complaint about:

  • Leaking roofs
  • Faulty plumbing
  • Inadequate heating
  • Substandard electrical problems
  • Pests (including rodents and cockroaches)
  • Mold
  • Lead

In these places:

  • Rental properties (apartment buildings of 4 units or more)
  • Hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts
  • Mobile home parks (within unincorporated San Mateo County)
  • Detention facilities
  • Organized camps
  • Employee/Farm Worker Housing

Call 650-599-1112 or use the Online Complaint Form. Environmental Health Services can only respond to complaints made about rental properties (apartment buildings of 4 units or more), hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, mobile home parks (within unincorporated San Mateo County), detention facilities and organized camps.

For employee housing/farm worker complaints, call 650-363-4404 or use the Online Complaint Form. For additional questions, contact  FarmworkerHousingSupport@smcgov.org.

Environmental Health Services does not handle housing complaints in the City of San Mateo, City of San Carlos, or single-family homes, duplexes or triplexes. If your complaint involves one of these areas or property types, please contact your local Code Enforcement Department directly. For contact information by city, see the resource library below.

Complaints concerning asbestos should be reported to Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD). You can file a complaint by calling 1-800-334-6367 or online through the link in the resource library.

Complaints concerning Housing Authority, HUD or Section 8 should be directed to the San Mateo County Department of Housing at 650-802-3300.

If you’d like to file a complaint about a townhouse or condominium, contact the owner, HOA or obtain legal advice.

Employee Housing Operations

The Employee Housing Act and the adopted regulations govern the standards for the construction, maintenance, use and occupancy of living quarters, called “employee housing,” provided for five or more employees under specified circumstances. Employee housing subject to the Act is privately-operated and does not include government-owned-and-operated migrant worker facilities.

In general, employee housing is privately-owned housing that houses five or more employees and meets the following criteria:

  • Living quarters are provided in connection with any work, whether or not rent is involved.
  • Housing is located in a rural area that is:
    • Provided by someone who is not an agricultural employer, and
    • Provided for agricultural workers employed by any agricultural employer.

Inspection

The inspection responsibilities of San Mateo County include the following activities:

  • Inspecting employee housing: Inspections are completed prior to and during occupancy to assure compliance with the use, maintenance and occupancy requirements established by the laws and regulations, as well as applicable sections of Title 24, California Building Standards Code.
  • Investigation of complaints of violations of the Employee Housing Act and the regulations.

Laws

The State Law governing employee housing is entitled the “Employee Housing Act” and may be found in Division 13, Part 1 of the California Health and Safety Code, commencing with Section 17000. This Act establishes requirements for permits, fees and responsibilities of employee housing operators and enforcement agencies, including the Department.

Regulations

Title 25, California Code of Regulations, Division 1, Chapter 1, Subchapter 3 includes specific requirements for the construction of housing, maintenance of grounds and buildings, minimum allowable sleeping space and facilities, sanitation and heating. The provisions of the California Building Standards Code (Title 24) govern the construction of permanent buildings used for employee housing. (See also State Housing Law for appropriate building standards.) The construction of mobile home and recreational vehicle lots within an employee housing facility is subject to provisions in the Mobilehome Parks Act and regulations adopted by the Department for such facilities.

Contact Information

For employee housing/farm worker complaints, call Aris Veloso, EHS IV Housing Program, work cell at 650-463-6925, use the Online Complaint Form, or email FarmworkerHousingSupport@smcgov.org.