Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Time is Running Out for Slumlords. Rental Registry is Now Online
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 7 years ago on
January 11, 2018

Share

One day after GV Wire questioned when the city would launch its landlord registry website, Fresno Mayor Lee Brand announced that it is now online.
The website allows Fresno landlords, whether they own an apartment complex or single family home, to register with the city.
“This was a major undertaking by the city of Fresno. The end result speaks for itself,” Brand told the gathered media Wednesday (Jan. 10) from City Hall.

Advocates Encouraged

“We are encouraged to see this first step. Unfortunately, this first step has taken a long time. We are praying the city will start proactive inspections as soon as possible. We hope they make this a priority in 2018,” said Lety Valencia, a community organizer with Faith in the Valley Fresno.
Valencia says her group has not been a part of the inspection program’s implementation despite being a strong advocate of its passage. They hope to be a partner in the future.
“This tool is not a punishment. It is an opportunity to hold those slumlords accountable, and make the rental homes healthier,” Valencia said.

The Delay Explained

Hoping to address the problem of slumlord housing, the Fresno City Council passed an ordinance establishing citywide rental inspections by a 4-3 vote Feb. 2, 2017. While the new law stated that the inspections could begin no earlier than September 2017, Brand told the Fresno Bee that he hoped inspections would start by then. Eleven months later — four months after its targeted start — the Rental Housing Improvement Program is underway.

“This final version is one of the most business-friendly versions in California. I believe it will be emulated in other cities in the future.”Fresno Mayor Lee Brand
Brand said that City Hall had to wait until the budget was in place to hire staff. As of Wednesday, seven of the 10 inspection-team members are in place.
“We couldn’t even start hiring the positions until October. It’s better to get it right and make sure it is done thoroughly. There are 90,000 properties out there. If we get it right the first time, it is much easier down the road,” Brand said Wednesday.
Another part of the process was developing a website for the mandatory registration of landlords.
The city hired Bitwise/Shift3 Technologies to develop the site. The contract, initially for $37,650 from April to August 2017, called for the developer to build the site in 17 weeks, which would have been the end of July 2017. The deal also included a $7,500 annual optional maintenance fee.
“The website was not intended to be ready by the end of August,” said Kelli Furtado, the city’s assistant planning director in charge of the program.

Registering and Inspections

There is no fee for landlords to register online, but it is mandatory under threat of penalty. A first offense of non-registration is $100 for being up to 30 days late. The fine escalates to $1,000 plus 10% interest if the owner fails to register after 120 days.
Registration is also required when there is a change in ownership.
As far as inspections, some landlords would be exempt, mainly for owners of units less than 10 years old and owner-occupied units (i.e. renting a room in a house). Units that are already inspected by another government agency would not require a second city inspection.
Brand also said that homes rented to relatives are exempt as well, but GV Wire could not find such language in the ordinance.
The city will inspect all rental housing for a baseline inspection over time. For multiple-unit apartment complexes, the city will inspect only a fraction of all such apartments, depending on the size. For instance, for a complex of 16-50 units, the city would inspect 15% of the apartments.
After the initial baseline inspection, the units will be placed in three tiers, depending on the severity of infractions.
The best is Tier I. Landlords can self-certify in the future after passing the first inspection. The worst is Tier III, which would subject the units to yearly inspections.

Brand: Other Cities Will Copy Fresno’s Program

The program, which passed with the support of rental housing advocates, the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the California Apartment Association, is cutting edge, according to Brand.
“This final version is one of the most business-friendly versions in California. I believe it will be emulated in other cities in the future,” he said.
The website for landlords to register is fresno.gov/rentalhousing.

DON'T MISS

Delta Plane Flips on Toronto Runway Amid Winter Storm

DON'T MISS

Fresno Joins National Protests Against Trump Administration

DON'T MISS

Canadian National Anthem Booed, but Only Lightly, at 4 Nations Hockey Tournament

DON'T MISS

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

DON'T MISS

‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches Across US

DON'T MISS

Where to Chill on the Cheap in the Caribbean

DON'T MISS

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

DON'T MISS

I Was a Bad Father. How Do I Live With the Regret?

DON'T MISS

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

DON'T MISS

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

UP NEXT

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

UP NEXT

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

UP NEXT

Tiny but Mighty: Cloe the Yorkie-Chihuahua Mix Seeks Her Perfect Match

UP NEXT

Costa Introduces Bill to Improve Epilepsy Care and Research

UP NEXT

Fresno Leaders Celebrate Completion of Blackstone Hotel Conversion Project

UP NEXT

Tulare Police Arrest Second Suspect in Fatal Gang-Related Shooting

UP NEXT

Fresno Unified Hires Firm for National Superintendent Search

UP NEXT

Poll: Where US Adults Think the Government Is Spending Too Much

UP NEXT

Can You Help Nab Hit-and-Run Driver Who Killed a Madera Woman?

UP NEXT

Bredefeld Says Fresno County’s Use of DEI Language Is Over

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

6 hours ago

‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches Across US

6 hours ago

Where to Chill on the Cheap in the Caribbean

10 hours ago

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

11 hours ago

I Was a Bad Father. How Do I Live With the Regret?

11 hours ago

Royal Caribbean to Launch First-Ever San Diego Cruises in 2026

1 day ago

What Is Field Hockey? Fresno’s Sikh Community Explains

1 day ago

Sean Combs Sues NBC Over Documentary That He Says Defamed Him

1 day ago

European Detour Destinations Are 2025’s New Travel Trend

1 day ago

California’s Aging Population Will Test Whether Its Demography Is Destiny

1 day ago

Delta Plane Flips on Toronto Runway Amid Winter Storm

TORONTO — A badly injured child is among eight people who were hurt Monday when a Delta Airlines plane flipped upon arrival at Toronto’s Pea...

3 hours ago

A Delta Air Lines plane heading from Minneapolis to Toronto crashed at Toronto's Pearson Airport, Monday Feb. 17, 2025. (Teresa Barbieri/The Canadian Press via AP)
3 hours ago

Delta Plane Flips on Toronto Runway Amid Winter Storm

4 hours ago

Fresno Joins National Protests Against Trump Administration

Team United States fans cheer after their team defeated Canada in a 4 Nations Face-Off hockey game in Montreal, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press via AP)
6 hours ago

Canadian National Anthem Booed, but Only Lightly, at 4 Nations Hockey Tournament

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, boards Air Force Two at the Philadelphia International Airport on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024. Harris might have traveled on Friday to Philadelphia or Milwaukee for the umpteenth time, but motivating tuned-out voters in battleground states required something different. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
6 hours ago

Former Vice President Kamala Harris to Be Honored by NAACP With Its Chairman’s Award

Downed trees cover the roadway toward South Jefferson Street from severe weather in downtown Tuscumbia, Ala., Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.(Dan Busey/The TimesDaily via AP)
6 hours ago

‘Life-Threatening Cold’ Expected as Polar Vortex Stretches Across US

10 hours ago

Where to Chill on the Cheap in the Caribbean

11 hours ago

Should Builders Permit Their Own Projects? Post-fire LA Considers a Radical Idea

11 hours ago

I Was a Bad Father. How Do I Live With the Regret?

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend