Culver City : Building Code Enforcement

In response to increasing complaints about “bootleg” apartment units in house additions and garages, the City Council on Monday adopted a six-point program to enforce building codes and to identify code violations.

The program defines an illegal addition as one constructed without a building permit and an illegal conversion as a garage used as sleeping quarters, modified without building permits or modified permanently so a car cannot fit into it. The penalty for such violations is that owners must bring the addition or garage into compliance with city codes.

Under the enforcement program, violations less than 3 years old must be corrected immediately and those older than three years must be corrected within one year. Property owners who voluntarily report their violations will be given amnesty and three years to bring their structures up to code.

The city will negotiate extensions for low- and moderate-income owners and renters. It also will grant extensions of up to one year to anyone complying in good faith.