Office Hours for Code Compliance Officers
Monday - Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. (no appointment required)
Customers with active code cases must have an appointment with the assigned Code Compliance Officer in order to submit permit applications. To schedule an appointment, please contact the assigned Code Compliance Officer.
File a Complaint
In some cases, it may be better to try and resolve issues between you and your neighbor before filing a complaint. If you would like additional information on City guidelines, please contact us at (510) 747-6800. To file a Code Violation Complaint, please fill out the Code Enforcement Complaint Form and submit it to the Permit Center at City Hall, 2263 Santa Clara Ave., Room 190, Alameda, CA 94501. You can also call (510) 747-6818 for more information.
Vacant Building Monitoring Form
What is Code Enforcement?
The Code Enforcement program responds to complaints received from community members, other City departments, and various outside agencies on work that is conducted without permits. Compliance is sought through a progression of Stop Work notices, letters, notice and orders, administrative citations, liens and receiverships. In Alameda, code enforcement is a reactive program, not a proactive program. Staff responds to complaints rather than going out and looking for violations. Complaints come from any number of places. Often they are received from neighbors and tenants.
Code Enforcement Priorities
When complaints are received they are prioritized as either high, medium, low or secondary. High priority cases include illegal units, housing code violations, and dangerous buildings; medium priority cases include work without permits, abandoned vehicles (on private property), vacant buildings and graffiti; and low and secondary priority cases include garbage, illegal signs, noise and illegal fences. A fair number of complaints are forwarded from police and fire when they run across health and safety violations in their normal course of business.
What Happens During the Code Enforcement Process?
Every effort is made to visit the site of the alleged violation and confirm its validity as soon as possible. Once a complaint is confirmed as valid, the property owner is contacted to schedule an inspection and attempt to gain compliance. Many cases are resolved at this stage; the property owner makes the required corrections, the case is closed, and all is right with the world. Other cases take more persuasion before compliance with the Alameda Municipal Code is reached. Enforcement efforts become increasingly more demanding and can include the issuance of citations, a rare but sometimes necessary step. In the most difficult cases, where the safety of building occupants or neighboring properties are affected and the City is unable to gain compliance, the City Council may authorize civil proceedings against the property owner.
