Report prepared by Craig J. Cornwell, City Attorney
Title
SUBJECT: Anti-Slumlord Ordinance Discussion
REPORT IN BRIEF
City Council previously expressed interest in exploring a potential "Anti-Slumlord Ordinance" as an alternative to the previously proposed Rental Housing Maintenance and Inspection Program, which was not adopted. The Council requested that staff review a model adopted in another jurisdiction-specifically, the City of Fresno-as a potential framework.
RECOMMENDATION
Provide direction to staff on next steps.
Body
DISCUSSION
The City Attorney's Office reviewed Fresno's Rental Housing Improvement Act, which is structured around a two-part strategy:
A reactive enforcement component-the Anti-Slum Enforcement Team (ASET)-comprised of Code Enforcement officers and City Attorneys who investigate health and safety violations based on complaints, public safety referrals, and inspections. If violations are confirmed and not corrected, the team pursues legal action against the property owner.
A proactive inspection program-the Rental Housing Improvement Act, adopted in 2017-which requires all residential rental units and rental properties to register with the City and be subject to periodic inspections. Properties with multiple violations are referred to ASET for further action.
The proactive strategy includes self-certification for properties that pass inspection, random city inspections for 10% of certified properties annually, and exemptions for properties less than 10 years old or already subject to agency oversight.
Comparison to Merced's Former Proposal
Fresno's Rental Housing Improvement Act closely resembles Merced's formerly proposed Rental Housing Maintenance and Inspection Program, with each program creating an inspection registry to ensure that rental housing conditions are sufficient to protect public health and safety. While the basic frameworks are the same, there are several mechanical differences:
- Fresno's program is bifurcated...
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