Does Compton require a city report before you sell a house?

You’re getting a Compton house ready to sell, or you’re already in escrow and someone has asked for a city report. Yes, Compton requires the owner or an authorized representative to apply for a residential building records and code violations report before entering an agreement of sale or exchange, subject to the exception below.

This guide is educational, not legal or tax advice.

What does Compton require before a sale?

Compton requires an application to the Department of Building and Safety before you enter a sale or exchange agreement for a residential building.

Compton Municipal Code Section 14-2 sets out the requirement. Its purpose is to give the buyer information about the property’s authorized use, occupancy, zoning classification and existing code violations.

The definition of a residential building covers improved real property designed or permitted for dwelling purposes, including its buildings. An exchange can involve cash or something other than all cash. The code defines an agreement of sale as an agreement or written instrument providing for title to transfer.

For your sale planning, the practical point is simple: put the application ahead of signing the purchase agreement.

What does the report show?

The report combines city records with code violations observed during the city’s inspection, with record information included insofar as it is available.

Under Section 14-2.6, the Building Official schedules an inspection for Building Code compliance and reviews city records. The report contains:

• The street address and legal description.
• The zone classification and authorized use.
• The occupancy established by permits of record.
• Recorded variances, conditional use permits, exceptions or other pertinent legislative acts.
• Any special restrictions on use or development that may apply.
• The nature, extent and date of the inspection.
• Code violations observed by the inspector at that inspection.

Read the inspection date and scope alongside the findings. The report describes what the inspector observed at that time, while the records portion identifies what the city has available.

This report is separate from the state Transfer Disclosure Statement and a private home inspection. For the broader disclosure process, see the California seller disclosure guide.

When should you apply, and how long does it last?

Apply before signing a purchase agreement, and check that the report will remain valid for the transaction.

Section 14-2.3 says the report is valid for a period not exceeding six months after its issue date. Use the actual issue date when checking it. If your sale schedule changes, ask Building and Safety whether you need another report.

Ask the department about the current application steps, inspection scheduling, processing time and fee before setting your transaction schedule around the report. The code says investigation and inspection fees are established by City Council ordinance or resolution; it does not supply a fee amount here.

Already under contract? Ask the department how to address the report requirement at that stage. Section 14-2.9 says failure to comply does not by itself invalidate the sale or exchange agreement.

When does the buyer need to receive it?

The buyer must receive the report before executing an escrow agreement or any document of title, and before any consideration is transferred.

Section 14-2.7 places delivery on the owner or the owner’s authorized representative. The buyer signs a city-furnished receipt, which the owner delivers to the Building Department as evidence of compliance.

The Building Official may instead accept a declaration under oath from the owner or representative stating that the report was personally delivered. Ask the department which documentation it will accept for your transaction.

Keep the timing requirements distinct. Applying before the purchase agreement addresses one part of the rule; delivering the report and documenting receipt address another. If you’re buying and have not received it, ask the seller for the report and check the delivery timing with the department.

Which transfers are treated differently?

The code provides a specific first-sale exception and allows a discretionary fee and inspection waiver for certain transfers.

Section 14-2.8 excludes the first sale of a residential building in a subdivision whose final map was approved and recorded under the Subdivision Map Act no more than two years before that first sale. Ask whether the property and recorded map meet those conditions before relying on the exception.

Under Section 14-2.5, the Chief Building Inspector may waive the fee and inspection for real estate inherited or transferred because of divorce or a court order. Parties seeking a waiver submit documentation.

“May” matters. A waiver is discretionary, and the provision concerns the fee and inspection. Ask what documentation is needed and which report and delivery steps remain applicable. If the property is inherited, the California probate sale guide can help frame your separate questions about the sale process.

What if the report lists a violation or a different use?

Ask Building and Safety to explain the finding and identify what records or next steps would address it.

Start with the exact entry. Is it an observed code violation, an authorized-use entry or an occupancy designation based on permits? Those entries describe different things. Ask which code provision or permit record supports the item and whether additional records could clarify it.

If the home’s current use differs from the report, describe that difference directly when asking the department for guidance. Don’t assume the way a space is used today establishes its authorized use.

Section 14-2 requires the report and its delivery. It does not say that listed violations automatically block a sale or that every violation must be repaired before closing. Ask about the specific finding before making commitments about repairs or timing. For related disclosure questions, read the guide to unpermitted work in California.

What should buyers read closely?

Read the zone, authorized-use and permitted-occupancy lines closely, then compare them with how the property is presented and used.

The zone classification and occupancy entry answer different questions. The report identifies the zone and authorized use, while occupancy is established by permits of record. Ask for clarification when those entries do not appear to match the home you’re buying.

Also read any listed variances, conditional use permits and special use or development restrictions. If you have plans for the property, ask whether those plans fit the recorded approvals and restrictions. A report’s description of current records is a starting point for those questions.

The short version

Yes, Compton requires the owner or authorized representative to apply for the report before entering a residential sale or exchange agreement, subject to the first-sale exception.

Check the issue date against the six-month validity limit. Arrange delivery before the escrow agreement, title documents or transfer of consideration, and document the buyer’s receipt. Ask about any violation, use mismatch or possible waiver early enough to understand what remains to be done.

For a starting point as you plan your sale, use the home value tool.