Fresno, CA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)

1, charging a reasonable inspection fee under the Master Fee Schedule. Section 10-1604(b) sets up a baseline inspection program: a random percentage of units at each registered property is inspected, but if that sample turns up numerous or pervasive violations the city can inspect a greater share, or all, of the units at that property and any other properties under the same ownership, and refer the owner to the Anti-Slum Enforcement Team or Reactive Rental Housing Unit. The city prioritizes properties with prior complaints, heavy police or fire call volume, or other risk indicators.

Newly constructed buildings are exempt from routine inspection for ten years from certificate of occupancy (extendable in five-year increments to twenty years if complaint-free), and properties already inspected by another government agency such as a housing authority are exempt too, per Section 10-1606, though an owner must certify the exemption under penalty of perjury. Section 10-1607 lets a property enter a self-certification program if a licensed property manager or the owner documents annual inspections; 10% of self-certified properties are still spot-checked at random each year, and a property that passes is exempt from further random checks for five years, while any unit with a life-threatening violation is immediately pulled from self-certification.

Correction notices under Section 10-1608 give a reasonable, violation-specific deadline, and Section 10-1610 lets the city pursue administrative citations, abatement, civil injunctions, or criminal prosecution, recovering attorney's fees as the prevailing party, charging violations as either an infraction or misdemeanor at the City Attorney's discretion.