Modesto rental inspection report: Thousands of units might not be up to code
A presentation to the Safety and Communities Committee on inspections done by Modesto’s Rental Housing Safety Program last year showed that tens of thousands of units could be in code violation and that city staff will not inspect past bankers’ hours.
Last year, the Rental Housing Safety Program inspected more than 2,500 of the approximately 20,000 units registered to it. There are about 35,000 rental units in Modesto, the city estimates.
The most common code violations were electrical deficiencies, followed by water heater issues and smoke detector violations. Nearly three out of five home fire deaths nationwide were caused by fires in properties with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that didn’t work, according to the National Fire Protection Agency.
Asked by committee members why only a small fraction of the registered units were inspected, Chief Building Official Oscar Diaz said the biggest reason was missed inspections. Coordinating with tenants and landlords for a time that works for everyone is difficult, he said. Inspections are done only from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays.
“So there’s our problem. … This is one of the situations where the government needs to revolve (around) a person rather than government hours,” said Safety Committee member and Councilmember Chris Ricci.
Ricci suggested that inspections should be done during hours when people are home, after work, even though doing it during business hours costs less for the city. Ricci said there is a potential that 30,000 units are not up to code because they either haven’t been inspected, had their inspections audited or aren’t registered to the city.
Fellow committee member and Councilmember Rosa Esucita-Braaton suggested that staff brainstorm ways to get 100% of rental units registered, including ways to incentivize landlords and tenants to do so. But even if they are registered, the inspection program’s staffing, budget and rules limit its potential.
The program’s origins date to 2019. Before that, the city inspected rentals for code violations only if a tenant complained. This “reactive approach” meant there were significant gaps in enforcement and the program disproportionally affected low-income households, according to an agenda report presented to the Safety Committee on Monday.
“Many tenants were reluctant to report unsafe or substandard living conditions due to fear of retaliation, including eviction, rent increases, or strained relationships with property owners,” the report reads. “This reluctance was especially pronounced among lower-income renters and those with limited housing alternatives.”
With funding available from Measure H, the city passed a program in 2023 that mandated up to 10% of all rental units in the city be audited. Out of more than 730 code violation cases opened in 2025, 88% happened because of city staff-led audits, as opposed to tenant complaints, indicating that it can be effective. Of those cases, about 540 were brought up to code and the city touts an 87% compliance rate, according to the report.
City Manager Joe Lopez said that while the program is funded by Measure H now, the hope is that revenue from fees and citations can make it self-sustaining.
The program generated nearly $120,000 in 2025, but more would be needed to increase staffing. The program is staffed by two consultant code enforcement officers, one administrative office assistant, a temporary administrative staff member and an administrative analyst.
The report was accepted by the Safety Committee and forwarded to the City Council. Reports of this nature are typically not presented publicly at City Council meetings, instead placed on the consent calendar, which does not require discussion.
