Greetings from Director Tom Hui 
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As we greet the holiday season and enjoy delicious meals with our friends and family, it is important to keep safety in mind.
According to a study conducted from 2009-2013 by the National Fire Protection Association, the number one cause of home fires was from cooking equipment. Some simple tips to prevent these fires are to not leave the kitchen unattended while cooking and to test that all smoke alarms are working properly in your home. It may be getting chilly outside but space heaters and any heating equipment should be kept at least three feet away from walls and furniture. It is also important to have an evacuation plan ready for your household in case a fire does occur. The holidays are always a little chaotic and we often have many things to worry about, so let's make sure that a fire isn't one of them.
Find more
fire safety tips here
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For the past few months, the Emergency Interagency Fire Safety Task Force has been diligently meeting to review and make recommendations on possible legislation to the improve fire safety of multi-unit residential and multi-use buildings. To read more about the task force and their preliminary recommendations,
visit here.
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El Niño is Coming
Although El Niño isn't anticipated to hit California until early 2016, DBI is urging property owners to get prepared now. Roofing and other structural work takes time to complete, so prevent possible leaking and flooding onto your property by fixing small problems before they become big ones. Severe weather conditions can cause a number of problems including power outages to road closures. Whether you are at home or at work, please have an
emergency plan and kit ready. Don't wait-communicate! Be sure you and your loved ones know how to reach each other when the storm hits.
Read more about getting prepared.
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Prevent Flooding before the Storm Hits
Protect your property from flooding today! If you live in a low-lying neighborhood, your house may be especially prone to flooding when El Niño hits this winter. Any urban stormwater system, such as San Francisco's, may be overwhelmed by the foreseen severe weather conditions to hit California. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's Floodwater Grant Program is here to help. The program is designed to help minimize the risk of flooding damage for San Francisco residents. The installations covered in this program include flood barriers, backflow preventers, flood walls and special projects. For those considering to
install a backflow preventer, please contact Chief Plumbing Inspector Steven Panelli at
[email protected] or at (415) 558-6058 for more information. To read more and to see if you qualify for the Floodwater Program,
visit here.
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Tenants, Are You Too Cold for Comfort?
Are you feeling cold even inside? The San Francisco Housing Code requires all habitable rooms to be heated to 68°F at a minimum. Habitable rooms include any rooms used for living, sleeping, cooking and eating. Portable heaters are not considered as a legal heat source, but rather must be properly attached and wired. Staying warm during the cold season is not merely for comfort, but essential for one's health. When there is lack of heat in a residential building, the occupants are more susceptible to catching colds and other illnesses. It is especially important for the elderly and those who are already suffering from sickness to stay warm. If your rental unit is not properly heated, please contact your landlord. If you have any questions, you can reach the Housing Inspection Services Division at (415) 558-6220.
Read more.
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Do you have a deck or balcony on your multi-unit apartment building? If you do, you should be expecting or have already received a reminder notice in the mail to get them inspected.
Owners are required to have decks, balconies, stairs, or other attachments inspected every five years by a licensed professional. The owners must provide proof of compliance by submitting a Compliance Affidavit to DBI's Housing Inspection Services.
To see if your property is compliant, check the Section 604 Affidavit Log
found here.
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DBI is the regulatory building safety agency responsible for overseeing the effective, efficient, fair and safe enforcement of building codes for the City and County of San Francisco's more than 200,000 commercial and residential buildings.
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Codes Corner
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Read up on our most recent code updates below:
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Events
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| Legislative Watch |
Stay up to date on the most recent proposed and passed legislation affecting DBI. Here are some listed below:
- File No. 150732 -
Supervisor Tang proposes mandatory disabled access improvements for existing buildings with a place of public accommodation.
- File No. 151106 - In Committee: Proposed waiver of the current requirement to obtain a plumbing permit prior to installing a simple grey water system.
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