Get Ready to Comply with California’s Balcony Inspection Bill (SB 721)
By Tony Angelo
Angelo Termite & Construction

The primary purpose of The Structural Pest Control Act, California Business & Professions Code and The Uniform Building Code is to work in conjunction within one another to protect the consumer.

Over the past several years, public accesses, high traffic areas, entry staircases, walkways and balconies in multifamily communities have collapsed from water intrusion, termites, fungus, and dry rot structural damage, also known as Wood Destroying Pests & Organisms, which has resulted in numerous injuries and even deaths. In 2015, after a residential balcony collapsed in Berkeley, California, killing six people and injuring seven others, state lawmakers stepped in to address the situation. SB 721 was introduced and passed by the State Legislature and signed into law by the governor in 2018. The law requires the physical inspection of residential buildings’ elevated elements over six feet in height with three units or more.

As clearly stated in leading HOA law firm Adams Stirling’s January 31, 2021 newsletter, “If the Owner or Management fails or refuses to comply with the SB 721 Law, and someone is injured or killed from Wood Destroying Pests & Organisms structural damage, compensatory and punitive damages imposed by a jury could be significant. This may not be covered by insurance. In a worst-case scenario, owners or management could find themselves personally liable for damages, not to mention jail time.”

Angelo Termite & Construction is certified by the Community Association Managers International Certification Board (CAMICB) under “Consumer Protection” to instruct on “Senate Bill 721” to owners and managers. The company also provides instruction to rental housing providers and was pleased to present an informational webinar last month to members of the Apartment Association of Orange County. Its goal is to be diligent and pro-active in protecting the interest of the consumer and to help rental housing providers avoid future litigation by knowing the condition of their apartment buildings.

Angelo Termite & Construction is a licensed Structural Pest Control Operator and General Contractor that has served rental communities since 1976. It is professionally licensed and insured to identify Wood Destroying Pests & Organisms which create structural damage and hazardous conditions and to provide the proper recommendations and repairs to the consumer.

It is presently offering AAOC members a courtesy walk-through visual inspection of their rental property, to help identify the areas that will require the formal physical inspection as part of the SB 721 compliance process. Again, this walk-through inspection is not intended to fulfill the SB 721 inspection requirements. Its purpose is to be proactive and protect property owners and management, as well as the consumer, at the present time, and to provide education and help owners and management make informed decisions.

To request a courtesy walk-through inspection of your rental property by Angelo Termite & Construction, simply complete the inspection request form on the opposite page and submit it to info@angelotermite.com, or visit https://angelotermite.com/apartment-walk-through-request.