Permit to Operate
Issuance of new permits to operate employee housing and annual renewals include invoicing the employee housing operators, receiving and banking fees, ordering field inspections, completing and mailing permits, and maintaining all records of such permitting and renewals.
Permit to Operate related fees (PTO fees, reinspection fees, change of operator, etc.) can be paid online using HCD’s online fee-payment system . Before making an online payment, you must contact the Employee Housing program so a representative can set up your fees due. Please have your HCD-assigned facility ID number or facility address and total number of employees and/or lots available at the time of contact. Also, you will need a DTN and a facility or operator zip code to make a payment online. This information can be found on your pre-printed renewal invoice or by contacting a program representative. Please contact the Employee Housing program at (800) 952-8356 or EH@hcd.ca.gov for more details.
If you are no longer operating or maintaining your facility, or have reduced the number of employees you are providing housing to 4 or less employees, a Certificate of Non-Operation is required to be filed with the enforcement agency. A Certificate of Non-Operation form, HCD EH 214 (PDF), must be filed with the agency for two years following the discontinuation of an employee housing facility or camp.
Alternate Approval
Any request for alternate approval of any material, appliance, installation, or device in an employee housing facility must be received using HCD EH 213 (PDF).
Exemptions
Exempt Facilities or Facilities Not Subject to the Act
Certain types of employee housing facilities are exempt from all or part of the provisions of the Employee Housing Act while other facilities may have a partial exemption. (See Health and Safety Code Sections 17030 - 17039 .) Examples of these exempt facilities include:
- Housing maintained in connection with a horse racing facility (See Sections 19455 and 19481.5 of the Business and Professions Code for additional information.).
- "Employee Community Housing," which is a community of at least 200 single-family dwellings of four or more rooms owned and maintained by the employer, pursuant to the provisions of the State Housing Law , is not subject to the Employee Housing Act.
- Properly maintained permanent housing, including manufactured homes and mobilehomes on a dairy farm, may be exempted from the annual permitting requirements of the Act.
The following types of facilities are not subject to the Employee Housing Act and, therefore, are not required to obtain a Permit to Operate:
- Facilities owned, operated, and maintained by a government agency
- Facilities that house 4 or less employees