Substandard housing conditions can be reported to the city’s Code Enforcement Division online using the FresGO app, by phone, by calling 559-621-8400, or in person or in writing, by sending information to the City of Fresno, City Attorney's Office Code Enforcement, Room 3070, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721.
If you’re a renter, you have the right to live in a safe home.
Landlords and property owners are required to ensure that their rental property is habitable and safe – meeting conditions such as being free of visible mold growth or structural hazards, having adequate heating and sanitation, and other conditions noted in the California Health and Safety Code.
“Renters should report substandard housing violations in their units if their landlord fails to correct them, so that Code Enforcement can use enforcement tools to motivate the property owner to comply,” said Christina Roberson, assistant Fresno city attorney.
ASET, or Anti Slum Enforcement Team, was established in 2016 as a branch of Fresno’s code enforcement department, works with property owners to meet “compliance of health and safety code violations that are a threat to the occupant’s safety, structural integrity of the building, and have a negative impact on the surrounding neighborhoods,” according to the Code Enforcement’s guide on avoiding code violations.
At the moment, ASET is currently working to bring 12 rental properties, totaling 166 homes, into compliance with health and safety standards, according to a report delivered by the city attorney’s office, to the Fresno City Council at its Jan. 19 meeting.
Also on Jan. 27, ASET’s status report shows that in addition to the currently active cases, there is one additional property with 72 rental units that is awaiting action but has not been addressed yet.
In the report, Roberson explained that the Reactive Unit, another team within the Rental Housing Unit of Code Enforcement that responds to complaints at multi-family properties, has closed 330 cases, opened 311 cases, and still has 289 active cases since the last report, which was delivered on Oct. 13, 2022.
How to file a complaint with code enforcement
Roberson encouraged renters to report substandard housing violations to the city’s Code Enforcement Division as a first step in remedying the situation.
“Reporting these violations also informs Code Enforcement about which properties have violations, and we can use this knowledge to investigate the property for ASET or other Code Enforcement programs,” she added.
Substandard conditions could include mold, a repair that has been delayed, a lack of working heat, or other unsanitary or unsafe conditions.
Complaints can be filed:
- Online, with the FresGO app
- By phone, by calling 559-621-8400
- In person or in writing, by sending information to the City of Fresno, City Attorney’s Office Code Enforcement, Room 3070, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721.
When filing a complaint, tenants should be prepared with information such as:
- Your name, phone number, and address. This personal information is kept confidential.
- The property address.
- A detailed description of the violation or situation occurring.
- How long the situation has been observed.
It’s considered a best practice to document the situation with photos and a timeline of when the problems started.
Complaints are addressed by priority level.