Improving Fire Safety
In the aftermath of the deadly Oakland warehouse fire in December 2016, DBI began working closely with the Fire Department and other public safety agencies to increase proactive outreach and reduce at-risk situations. Part of DBI’ s educational efforts included engaging warehouse owners and tenants through the Code Enforcement Outreach Program( CEOP) to address life-safety issues prior to inspection by the Fire Department.
Housing Conversion Ordinance Updates
Originally adopted by the City in 1981, the Residential Hotel Unit Conversion and Demolition Ordinance( HCO) preserves the existing stock of residential guest rooms as housing for low-income, elderly, and disabled persons. It required all hotel and apartment house owners with guest rooms to report how many guest rooms were being used on September 23, 1979. Rooms occupied by a tenant for 32 consecutive days or more were designated residential. Guest rooms occupied for less than 32 days were designated as tourist.
This year, the HCO was updated, with changes effective as of March 20, 2017, and passed unanimously by the Board of Supervisors in February. Revisions to the ordinance include:
• New or refined definitions of tourist and transit use, comparable unit, conversion, and low-income-household;
• Revised procedures for permits to convert residential units;
• Introduction of harmonizing fees and penalty provisions with the Building Code;
• Elimination of seasonal short-term rentals for residential hotels that have violated HCO provisions in the previous year; and
• Authorization of DBI to issue administrative subpoenas.
The purpose of this ordinance is to preserve affordable housing and prevent the loss of residential hotel units through conversion or demolition and to prevent the displacement of low income, elderly, and disabled persons.
Department of Building Inspection, Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Annual Report 19