How to Sell a House With Code Violations or Unpermitted Work in the Bay Area
Open permits, an unpermitted ADU or in-law, a substandard-housing notice, or a recorded code-enforcement lien? We buy it exactly as it sits — all cash, no repairs, no permits to pull — and close in as little as 7 days.
All cash, any condition•We take on the permit risk•Close in 7-10 days•No fees, no commissions
Can you sell a house with code violations or unpermitted work in California?
Yes. California has no law barring the sale of a house with code violations, open permits, or unpermitted work. You must disclose every known issue on the Transfer Disclosure Statement under Civil Code §1102.6, but you are generally not required to cure violations or close out permits before selling. A cash buyer like Rapid Home Solutions purchases as-is and assumes the permitting and abatement risk, closing in 7-10 days.
By Steven Williams, Founder & CEO, Rapid Home Solutions — buying Bay Area homes since 2014. Last updated June 2026. Informational only, not legal advice. Code-enforcement and disclosure rules vary by city and county; consult a California real-estate attorney about your specific property.
What counts as a "code violation" — and why it stalls a normal sale
Code problems come in several flavors, and each one scares off a financed retail buyer for a different reason. Here is what we routinely buy.
In the Bay Area, the issues that derail a conventional sale almost always fall into one of these buckets. A retail buyer's lender and inspector will flag any of them; we will not.
- Unpermitted additions, in-law units, and ADUs. A converted garage, a basement apartment, a bedroom or bath added without a permit, or an illegal in-law. The square footage doesn't match county records, so an appraiser may refuse to count it and a lender may refuse to fund.
- Open or expired permits. A permit was pulled but never finaled — common after a contractor walked off a kitchen or roof job. The permit shows "open" or "expired" in the city's system and clouds the title in a buyer's mind.
- Code-enforcement cases and substandard-housing notices. A Notice of Violation or a substandard-building declaration under Health & Safety Code §17920.3, often with daily accruing penalties.
- Recorded code-enforcement liens. When abatement costs or fines go unpaid, a city can record a lien — for example under Health & Safety Code §17980.2, which once recorded carries the force and priority of a judgment lien.
- Failed point-of-sale inspections. Sewer-lateral, soft-story, energy (Berkeley BESO), or water-conservation requirements that a buyer's escrow won't close around.
We buy through every one of these. You don't pull a single permit, hire a single contractor, or pay a single fine out of pocket before closing.
What we pay vs. what it costs to "fix it first"
Retroactive permitting in the Bay Area is slow, expensive, and uncertain. Here’s the honest math on cure-then-list versus a cash sale.
Cure the violations, then list
Retroactive permitting ("permitting as-built") on an unpermitted ADU or addition routinely runs $15,000-$80,000+ once you add as-built plans, a structural engineer, Title 24 energy upgrades, fire-sprinkler or egress changes, and city plan-check fees — and the city can require you to open walls to inspect concealed work. Code-enforcement penalties can keep accruing while you wait months for sign-off. Then you still pay 5-6% agent commission and typically wait 45-75 days to close, with no guarantee the buyer's lender funds.
Sell as-is to Rapid Home Solutions
We make a cash offer on the property as it stands today — open permits, illegal units, active code case and all. We take on the retroactive-permitting and abatement risk after closing. No repairs, no permits pulled, no fines paid by you, no commission, no closing costs. Recorded liens are typically paid from the sale proceeds at closing through escrow, so you walk away clear. Close in 7-10 days, or on the date you choose.
Cash sale vs. listing a code-violation house with an agent
Repairs / retroactive permitting: Cash: none — we buy as-is. Listing: lenders and buyers often demand permits closed and violations cured first.
Code-enforcement fines: Cash: stop accruing the day we close; we take on the case. Listing: can keep accruing for the 45-75+ days you're on market.
Recorded liens: Cash: typically paid through escrow from proceeds — you net the difference. Listing: still must be cleared before a retail buyer's title insurer will close.
Who pays closing costs: Cash: we do. Listing: you, plus 5-6% commission.
Financing falls through?: Cash: no loan, no appraisal contingency — we don't cancel over an un-permitted bedroom. Listing: a single appraiser or underwriter can kill the deal.
Time to close: Cash: 7-10 days. Listing: 45-75 days if it sells at all.
You disclose, we assume the risk. Because we pay all cash with no financing or appraisal contingency, an unpermitted unit or an open permit doesn't blow up the deal the way it would in a traditional sale.
Bay Area soft-story retrofit mandates — and how they trigger a forced sale
Soft-story and other point-of-sale mandates are the Bay Area’s quiet deal-killers. Deadlines and triggers vary sharply by city.
If you own a multi-unit wood-frame building with parking or a storefront on the ground floor, a mandatory seismic retrofit may already be due — and in several cities a sale, refinance, or major remodel can accelerate the deadline. Current status by jurisdiction:
- San Francisco — the Mandatory Soft Story Program is essentially complete; the final compliance tier deadline passed September 15, 2021. Non-compliant buildings face placards and penalties, which a buyer will discover instantly.
- Oakland — tiered completion deadlines have already passed (roughly February 2023 for 20+ unit buildings through February 2025 for the final tier). An un-retrofit building is now a live enforcement target.
- Berkeley — BMC Chapter 19.39 covers "soft, weak, or open-front" buildings of 5+ units. Critically, title transfer, new financing, a major remodel, re-occupancy, or an unsafe-building notice can accelerate the retrofit timeline — which is exactly why owners come to us rather than trip the trigger.
- Alameda — its multi-family soft-story program follows the same screen-then-retrofit structure; non-compliance is a recorded enforcement matter.
- San Jose — the newest mandate: after two delays (most recently tied to reduced FEMA grant funding), the Soft Story Retrofit Ordinance now takes effect April 1, 2027. It covers pre-1990 wood-frame multifamily buildings of three or more units (5+ units for buildings built before 1990 in the earlier groups). Screening is due by October 1, 2028, with phased construction deadlines from April 1, 2031 (Group 1) through April 1, 2033 (Group 3).
A full soft-story retrofit can cost on the order of $10,000-$15,000+ per unit, though per-unit costs vary widely by building. We buy buildings that haven't been retrofit, so you never have to engineer, permit, or finance the work.
What you must disclose in California — and what you do not have to fix
Disclosure is the law. Curing the violation generally is not. Knowing the difference protects you and lets you sell now.
California is a robust-disclosure state, and that generally works in your favor when you sell as-is to an informed cash buyer.
You must disclose known issues
Under Civil Code §1102.6, sellers of most one-to-four-unit residential property must complete a Transfer Disclosure Statement (TDS) listing known defects — including unpermitted additions, conversions, and known code violations. Honest, complete disclosure is your best protection against a later lawsuit; an as-is sale to a cash buyer doesn't waive it.
You generally do NOT have to cure the violation to sell
No California statute requires you to close out an open permit, legalize an unpermitted unit, or abate a violation before transferring title. The code-enforcement abatement process under Health & Safety Code §17980 runs against the property and its owner — in most cases, once we close and take title, we step into that responsibility. Where a city has recorded a cost-recovery lien (for example under §17980.2), it is typically satisfied through escrow from the sale proceeds, so title transfers clear.
The upshot: you disclose everything truthfully, sign as-is, and hand the permitting and abatement headache to us. For how these rules apply to your specific property, consult a California real-estate attorney.
How to sell your code-violation house — step by step
Five steps, no contractors, no city counter visits. Here’s exactly how it goes.
- Tell us what's going on (about 10 minutes). The address, the rough situation — unpermitted ADU, open roof permit, a substandard notice, a recorded lien, a missed soft-story deadline. You don't need permit numbers or paperwork in hand; we research the city and county records ourselves.
- We pull the file. We check the city's permit history, any open code-enforcement case, and a title search for recorded liens. This is on us — no cost, no obligation.
- You get a real cash offer. Our number reflects the property as-is, with the permitting and abatement cost already baked in — no lowball renegotiation after inspection, because there's no lender and no appraisal contingency.
- You pick the closing date. As fast as 7 days, or weeks out if you need time to move or coordinate a probate or divorce timeline.
- We close through a licensed Bay Area escrow. Recorded liens and payoffs are handled in escrow from the proceeds; you sign, and you walk away clear with no fees, no commission, and no fines left to chase you.
Common code-violation scenarios we close every month
Unpermitted ADU or illegal in-law
A garage or basement converted to a rental decades ago, no permit on file, now flagged by the city or impossible to appraise. We buy it as-is and handle legalization or removal ourselves — you don't pull a permit or evict to make it sellable.
Open or expired permit from a half-finished job
A contractor pulled a permit for a remodel, addition, or re-roof and never got it finaled. The open permit spooks retail buyers and their lenders. We close around it and close it out after.
Active code case or recorded lien
A Notice of Violation with daily penalties, a substandard-housing declaration under §17920.3, or a recorded §17980.2 lien. We typically pay the lien through escrow and take the enforcement case off your hands at closing.
County notes across the 9-county Bay Area
Code-enforcement and point-of-sale rules vary by jurisdiction. A few that matter for selling.
- San Francisco — soft-story program complete (final tier 2021); a 3R Report (Report of Residential Building Record) on permit history is legally required before a residential sale, which surfaces every open permit. Energy and water point-of-sale requirements also apply. We buy regardless.
- Alameda County (Oakland, Berkeley, Alameda, Hayward, Fremont) — Oakland and Berkeley both run mandatory soft-story programs with title-transfer triggers; Berkeley adds BESO energy disclosure at point of sale. Heavy code-enforcement activity on unpermitted in-law units citywide.
- Santa Clara County (San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View) — San Jose's soft-story ordinance now takes effect April 1, 2027 (after two delays); unpermitted ADUs are a frequent enforcement target across the South Bay.
- Contra Costa County (Concord, Richmond, Antioch, Walnut Creek) — active rental-inspection and substandard-housing enforcement; recorded abatement liens are common.
- San Mateo County (Redwood City, Daly City, San Mateo) — several Peninsula cities (San Mateo, Burlingame, Hillsborough and others) have point-of-sale sewer-lateral inspection rules; unpermitted-addition flags routinely stall financed sales.
- Solano, Sonoma, Napa, Marin (Vallejo, Fairfield, Santa Rosa, Napa, San Rafael) — county code enforcement plus wildfire-zone rebuild and septic issues. We buy in all nine counties.
Other situations we buy through — as-is, all cash
Major Repairs Needed
Foundation, roof, systems failing? We buy without a single repair.
Learn more →
Fire-Damaged Home
Smoke, char, or a total loss — sold as-is, no rebuild required.
Learn more →
House That Needs Repairs
Deferred maintenance and dated condition — cash, no fix-ups.
Learn more →
Large Liens
Tax, judgment, or code-enforcement liens cleared through escrow.
Learn more →
Hoarder Home
Packed, cluttered, or uninhabitable — we clear it out, you don't.
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Inherited a House
An inherited property with permit or condition problems? Sold as-is.
Learn more →
Sellers who sold homes that needed work & permits
Sellers whose homes had unpermitted work or violations — we bought them anyway, as-is.
A recent as-is sale
Bill Pearce
★★★★★
April 7, 2026
We were about to retire and move out of state, so we needed to sell our home of 16 years. Our home needed some TLC but we just wanted to move on and retire! We looked at all the options and decided to sell off-market with Rapid Home Solutions and we couldn’t have made a better decision. Super fast closing, no real estate agents or commissions, and they took the house as-is, no questions asked. Dawson and his team were super friendly and flexible and we couldn’t recommend them highly enough. Stay away from the lowballing sharks and work with someone who is all about a win-win for both parties!
Verified Google review
Why distressed Bay Area sellers choose Rapid Home Solutions
Amanda Lee
May 23, 2026
Working with Steven was an absolute pleasure from start to finish. Not only did they provide a competitive cash offer and close in just 10 days, but they also honored my full commission as the listing agent — something that truly speaks to their professionalism and integrity. The property was sold completely as-is and required multiple dumpsters worth of clean-out and hauling, yet they never questioned a thing or made the process difficult. The transaction was smooth, straightforward, and one of the easiest deals I’ve ever been a part of. If you’re looking for a reliable buyer for a quick and hassle-free sale opportunity, I highly recommend Steven and his team.
Bill Pearce
April 7, 2026
We were about to retire and move out of state, so we needed to sell our home of 16 years. Our home needed some TLC but we just wanted to move on and retire! We looked at all the options and decided to sell off-market with Rapid Home Solutions and we couldn’t have made a better decision. Super fast closing, no real estate agents or commissions, and they took the house as-is, no questions asked. Dawson and his team were super friendly and flexible and we couldn’t recommend them highly enough. Stay away from the lowballing sharks and work with someone who is all about a win-win for both parties!
Vanity Art LLC
December 12, 2025
If you are in need of quick and trouble-free as-is sale for a reasonable offer and no contract loopholes like most as-is buyers, choose Rapid Home Solutions. Dawson is honest and upfront about everything. The offer was fair and quick closing. A big help to my family when we needed it.
K M
September 30, 2025
Fast and smooth transaction with Steve and his crew. I highly recommend to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy team, rapidhomesolutions gets the job done!
Carol Sievers
May 2, 2025
I recently used Rapid Solutions to sell my house, and I’m thrilled with the experience. From start to finish, their process was seamless, efficient, and stress-free, making them a standout choice for homeowners looking to sell quickly. Pros: • Speedy Process: True to their name, Rapid Home Solutions lived up to their promise of a fast sale. After reaching out, they provided a fair cash offer within 48 hours, and we closed the deal in just 16 days. This was a lifesaver as we needed to close as soon as possible. • Hassle-Free Experience: No need for repairs, staging, or endless showings. They bought the house as-is, which saved us time and money. The team handled all the paperwork, making it incredibly convenient. • Transparent and Fair: The offer was competitive, and there were no hidden fees or commissions. Their team clearly explained the process, so we felt confident every step of the way. • Professional Team: Dawson was courteous, responsive, and genuinely cared about our needs. He answered all our questions promptly and tailored the timeline to fit our schedule.
Christine Cuddy (Toymentor)
April 10, 2025
Super easy, super fast. 10 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ not to mention really nice people. No hard sell whatsoever. It was a huge relief.
Kari Murray
January 16, 2025
Great experience!! Super fast funding and wonderful people to work with. Highly recommend!!
Carlos Anaya
December 13, 2024
Rapid Home solutions will help you sell fast and no hassle. They won't waste your time at all, but will come with a personalized solution for you! If you are lucky enough to work with Dawson, that guy is not playing games. I've worked personally with him and he cares about the sellers he talks to and he enjoys helping people. I know no one with better work ethics! If you happen to meet these guys and think they could possibly help, don't hesitate, just call them!!!
Greg b
December 5, 2024
I worked with Dawson for my mother's condo that was in bad shape. Dawson was incredibly fair on price and very compassionate about her situation and made the process very easy to complete. Everything went smoothly and she received her funds quicker than we expected. I did check with other companies and there was no comparison in my mind.
Selling a house with code violations in California — FAQ
1. Can I sell a house with unpermitted work in California?
Yes. No California law prohibits selling a house with unpermitted additions, conversions, or an illegal in-law unit. You must disclose the unpermitted work on your Transfer Disclosure Statement under Civil Code §1102.6, but you are generally not required to legalize or remove it first. We buy unpermitted properties as-is, all cash, and take on the permitting decision after closing — typically in 7-10 days.
2. Do I have to fix code violations before selling?
Generally, no. California has no statute requiring you to cure code violations, abate a substandard-housing notice, or close out permits before transferring title. The abatement obligation under Health & Safety Code §17980 runs against the property and its owner, so once we take title we step into it. You disclose what you know, sell as-is, and we handle the repairs and permitting ourselves. For your specific situation, consult a California real-estate attorney.
3. What is an open permit and how does it affect selling my house?
An open permit was issued but never inspected and finaled, so the city's records still show work "in progress." Retail buyers' lenders often refuse to fund until it's closed, and finaling can require opening walls for concealed work. We buy with the open permit in place, close around it, and final it ourselves after closing — you don't visit the city counter.
4. Can I sell a house with a code-enforcement lien on it?
Yes. A recorded code-enforcement lien — for example one recorded under Health & Safety Code §17980.2, which carries judgment-lien priority — must generally be cleared for clean title, but it's typically paid through escrow from the sale proceeds, and you net the difference. We buy properties with recorded abatement liens regularly and handle the payoff at closing, so you walk away clear of it.
5. How do I sell an unpermitted ADU or illegal in-law unit?
Disclose the unit's unpermitted status on your TDS under Civil Code §1102.6, then sell to a cash buyer who legalizes or removes it after closing. Retroactive permitting of an ADU can run $15,000-$80,000+ and months of plan-check, so most owners sell as-is instead. We buy the property with the illegal unit intact and take on legalization ourselves, closing in 7-10 days.
6. Do I have to disclose code violations to a buyer in California?
Yes. Under Civil Code §1102.6, sellers of most one-to-four-unit homes must complete a Transfer Disclosure Statement listing known defects, including code violations, unpermitted work, and open permits. Selling as-is does not waive disclosure. Full, honest disclosure is your best legal protection — and because we already expect violations, disclosing them to us never costs you the deal.
7. What if my building missed a soft-story retrofit deadline?
We buy un-retrofit soft-story buildings as-is. Soft-story deadlines have passed in San Francisco (2021) and Oakland (through 2025); Berkeley's BMC 19.39 program can accelerate on title transfer; and San Jose's ordinance now takes effect April 1, 2027 after two delays. A full retrofit can cost on the order of $10,000-$15,000+ per unit. We take on the seismic-retrofit obligation, so you never engineer, permit, or finance the work.
8. How fast can you buy my house with code violations?
As fast as 7 days, typically 7-10. Because we pay all cash with no loan, no appraisal, and no financing contingency, the open permits and violations that stall a traditional 45-75 day sale don't slow us down. We pull the permit and lien records ourselves, make a cash offer, and close on the date you choose through a licensed Bay Area escrow.
9. Will code-enforcement fines keep adding up while I sell?
Daily penalties in an active code case typically keep accruing until the case is resolved or the property changes hands. That's the cost of a slow listing. With a cash sale, the case and its fines transfer to us the day we close — usually within 7-10 days — so you stop the bleeding instead of watching penalties grow over a multi-month escrow.
10. Do you buy houses with substandard-housing notices?
Yes. A substandard-building declaration under Health & Safety Code §17920.3 — for issues like faulty wiring, no heat, structural hazards, or unpermitted occupancy — generally doesn't prevent a sale. The abatement duty under §17980 runs against the property and its owner, so we typically assume it at closing. We buy substandard and red-tagged properties as-is, all cash, with no repairs required from you.
11. What does it cost me to sell to Rapid Home Solutions?
Nothing out of pocket. We charge no fees, no commissions, and no closing costs, and we never ask you to make repairs or pull permits before closing. Recorded liens and required payoffs come out of the sale proceeds through escrow. The cash offer we make is the amount you plan around — there's no inspection-driven renegotiation afterward.
12. Who takes on the permit and violation risk after the sale?
We do, completely. Once we take title, the open permits, the code-enforcement case, the substandard notice, and any retroactive-permitting cost become our responsibility, not yours. That's the core of our as-is purchase: you disclose what you know under Civil Code §1102.6, sign, and walk away — the city's enforcement file moves to us along with the deed.
Get a cash offer on your code-violation house
Open permits, an illegal unit, a substandard notice, or a recorded lien — we buy it as-is and close in as little as 7 days. No repairs, no permits, no fees. Tell us about your property and get a real cash offer.