Fresno considers tougher fines for repeat code violations

Fresno is building a tougher fine structure for property owners who keep ignoring code citations, a change aimed at the landlords and absentee owners behind blight, illegal dumping, unsafe housing and other chronic complaints that keep resurfacing after city crews leave.

City Attorney Andrew Janz is working on the proposal because the current penalties have lost force against repeat offenders. Janz, appointed in December 2022, now oversees a Fresno City Attorney’s Office with about 39 attorneys and 190 support staff, including code enforcement officers, investigators and inspectors, on an annual budget of roughly $32 million.

The city’s Code Enforcement Division enforces the Minimum Housing Code and handles public nuisance and zoning cases. Residents can report problems through FresGO or by calling 3-1-1. In March, the Fresno City Council broadened officers’ authority, allowing them to enter some publicly accessible parts of private property, such as porches and driveways, without a warrant for code-enforcement work.

Fresno’s current administrative fines are capped at up to $250 for a first general code violation, $500 for a second and $1,000 for a third. For health and safety violations, the city can impose up to $800 on a first citation and $1,600 on a third. If crews have to haul away clutter or debris, the city can also tack on abatement fees.

Councilmember Miguel Arias has called a new fine structure long overdue and said the city should recover the full amount it spends on a case. Councilmember Mike Esparza has argued that repeat offenders should feel the hit in their bottom line, not treat penalties as a routine expense.

The city already has specialized enforcement machinery aimed at the worst properties. The Anti-Slum Enforcement Team handles the most serious violations of housing health and safety laws, while the Legal Team works on compliance agreements, inspection warrants, receivership petitions and injunctions.

Code-enforcement action has targeted properties at 4816 E. Fillmore Ave., 7462 E. Fedora, 7443 N. Van Ness, 2220 N. Weber Ave. and 1827 W. Clinton Ave., plus 6311 N. Robinson Ave. A June 2 Building Standards Appeals Board report on the Fillmore Avenue case lists a first administrative citation issued Dec. 17, 2025.

JD Home Rentals has filed at least seven lawsuits against the city over code citations, and another Fresno landlord filed a federal challenge in January to a $39,000 fine tied to alleged marijuana-growing activity at a rental.