(a)  Every person operating or owning employee community housing shall obtain a permit to operate such housing as a labor camp pursuant to this part unless an exemption is granted by the enforcement agency pursuant to this section. A request for an exemption for each community shall be made in writing to the enforcement agency. The person requesting the exemption shall give written notice to each employee/tenant of the employee community housing that an exemption is being requested. The notice shall state the address and telephone number of the enforcement agency, and shall state that any employee/tenant may inform the enforcement agency of violations of health and safety standards within his or her dwelling unit.

(b)  The enforcement agency, after a review of all relevant facts, shall grant an exemption to the owner or operator of the employee community housing unless it finds any of the following:

(1)  The housing is in violation of provisions of the State Housing Law or the regulations adopted pursuant thereto in a manner which materially affects the health and safety of the residents of the housing.

(2)  The housing, within the previous two years, has been found in violation of the provisions of this part or the regulations adopted pursuant thereto in a manner which materially affects the health and safety of the residents of the housing.

(3)  The housing does not meet the requirements of employee community housing as defined by Section 17005.5.

(c)  An exemption granted for employee community housing in one community shall not apply to employee community housing in other communities operated or owned by the same person.

(d)  Employee community housing granted an exemption pursuant to this section, during the period of such exemption, shall be subject to the provisions of the State Housing Law. During this period, any notice of violation of such law and verification of corrective action shall be forwarded to the department. Not less than once every 10 years after an exemption is granted pursuant to this part, every person operating or owning employee community housing shall give written notice to each employee/tenant of the employee community housing which shall state the address and telephone number of the enforcement agency, and shall state that any employee/tenant may inform the enforcement agency of violations of health and safety standards within his or her dwelling unit.

(e)  The exemption granted pursuant to this section shall be rescinded by the enforcement agency if the employee community housing is not operated or maintained in substantial compliance with Section 17005.5.

(Added by Stats. 1979, Ch. 1031.)