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This form is used by a seller or seller’s agent when selling a one-to-four unit residential property built before 1960 and preparing a marketing package in compliance with earthquake hazard disclosure mandates, to prepare and hand to prospective buyers for their review, together with a copy of the “Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety,” identifying any potential earthquake weaknesses the property may have. [See RPI Forms 316-1]

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Your use of RPI Form 315

California state law requires the seller of a one-to-four unit residential property to:

  • inform the buyer about known home weaknesses;
  • anchor, brace or strap the water heater, reducing the chance of it falling during an earthquake and possibly causing gas and water lines to break;
  • deliver a copy of the Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety booklet to the buyer when the home was built before 1960 [See RPI Form 316-1];
  • deliver to the buyer a Natural Hazards Disclosure (NHD) form, which will alert buyers to whether the home is in an Earthquake Fault Zone or a Seismic Hazard Zone [See RPI Form 314]; and
  • complete the Residential Earthquake Hazards Report and provide it to the buyer. [See RPI Form 315]

California state law does not require the seller to:

  • hire someone to evaluate the property; or
  • strengthen their home before selling it.

Sellers need to disclose all known defects and deficiencies in the property – including earthquake weaknesses and hazards – to prospective buyers. [Calif. Civil Code §1102]

However, in filling out the Residential Earthquake Hazards Report, sellers are not required to:

  • remove sliding, drywall or plaster in order to answer the questions;
  • hire anyone to inspect their homes; or
  • fix the weaknesses before they sell their homes.

When a question on the form describes only a portion of the house – for example, when part of the house is anchored to the foundation and the other part is not – the answer is “no” because a portion of the house is not properly anchored.

A seller or seller’s agent uses the Residential Earthquake Hazards Report published by RPI (Realty Publications, Inc.) when selling a one-to-four unit residential property built before 1960 and when preparing a marketing package in compliance with earthquake hazard disclosure mandates. The form identifies any potential earthquake weaknesses the property may have. [See RPI Form 315]

The form includes a checklist of questions, designed for the seller to answer to the best of their knowledge, with a corresponding page number for the seller to consult in the Homeowner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety, giving more information on each question. [See RPI Form 316-1]

When a seller lacks actual knowledge as to whether the weakness exists, they answer with “Don’t Know.” When the property does not have the feature referenced, the seller answers with “Doesn’t Apply.”

When any of the questions are answered “No,” the house is likely to have an earthquake weakness. Buyers may then take this factor into account when negotiating on the sale of a property.

Revision history

Form navigation page published 06-2021.

Form last revised 2019.