Modesto, CA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum glazed area
- 8% of habitable room floor area
- Minimum openable area
- 45% of required glazed area
- Adjoining-room light minimum
- 8% of area, 25 sq ft minimum
- Hallway lighting
- 60-watt bulb per 200 sq ft
- Bathroom exhaust
- Must discharge outdoors, no recirculation
- Governing code
- Property Maintenance Code Title 9, Ch. 8
Summary
Modesto's Property Maintenance Code sets numeric light and ventilation floors for every habitable room in rental housing: at least 8 percent glazed window area, 45 percent of that openable, and mechanical exhaust for bathrooms vented outdoors, not recirculated.
Every habitable space shall have at least one window of approved size facing directly to the outdoors or to a court. The minimum total glazed area for every habitable space shall be eight (8) percent of the floor area of such room... Every habitable space shall have at least one (1) openable window. The total openable area of the window in every room shall be equal to at least forty-five (45) percent of the minimum glazed area required in Section 9-8.1804 of this Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
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. 1804, or an equivalent adjoining-room opening under the same 8 percent/25-square-foot floor. 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. 1805). 1802, and neither an owner-occupant nor a landlord may allow occupancy of a unit that does not meet these standards.
Violations & Fines
A rental unit found short of the 8 percent glazing floor, the 45 percent openable-area ratio, or proper bathroom exhaust venting is a Property Maintenance Code violation the owner must correct before the unit can lawfully be occupied. Modesto Code Enforcement can order repairs and, per the fee schedule in Chapter 9, assess inspection costs on the responsible party when violations are not corrected on the City's timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a landlord rent a bedroom with no window at all?
Does a bathroom need a window to be legal in Modesto rentals?
Who is responsible for fixing a habitability light or ventilation violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Modesto
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