Modesto, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Under Modesto Municipal Code Article 18 of the Property Maintenance Code, every habitable space must have at least one window facing directly outdoors or onto a court, with minimum total glazed area equal to 8 percent of the room's floor area (§ 9-8.1804). Windows blocked by an obstruction closer than 3 feet that rises above the ceiling line do not count toward that minimum. Where a room has no exterior glazing, natural light may instead come through an adjoining room via an unobstructed opening of at least 8 percent of the interior room's floor area, but never less than 25 square feet.

Ventilation follows the same structure at § 9-8.1807: every habitable room needs at least one openable window, with openable area equal to at least 45 percent of the glazed area required under § 9-8.1804, or an equivalent adjoining-room opening under the same 8 percent/25-square-foot floor. Bathrooms and toilet rooms must meet the same standard under § 9-8.1808 unless served by a mechanical ventilation system, in which case a window is not required, but exhaust air must discharge outdoors and cannot be recirculated. Common halls and stairways in residential buildings other than one- and two-family dwellings must stay lit at all times, at least a 60-watt bulb (or equivalent) per 200 square feet of floor area, with fixtures spaced no more than 30 feet apart (§ 9-8.1805).

The owner of the structure bears responsibility for providing and maintaining compliant light, ventilation and space conditions under § 9-8.1802, and neither an owner-occupant nor a landlord may allow occupancy of a unit that does not meet these standards.