Maria Martinez, director of Neighborhood Services, briefed the council on the rental inspection and property maintenance program’s expansion and enforcement changes. Martinez said the city added staff and updated fees to support the shift toward more proactive enforcement and to bring multifamily properties under more frequent review.

“Single family rental license was formally $125, and it increased to a $150,” Martinez said. She told council the fee covers application review, the initial inspection and one reinspection for a newly licensed single‑family rental. Martinez also said the multifamily license fee moved from $15 to $20 per unit to fund expanded 100% inspections at apartment complexes.

Why it matters: the city is seeing rapid population growth and increased rental housing across neighborhoods. Martinez said the city aims to ensure safety and address code compliance by improving transparency and training with owners and managers; the office also translated inspection checklists into Hindi after stakeholder requests for clearer guidance.

Key metrics and operations: Martinez reported roughly 2,000 initial inspections in calendar year 2024 and said the city’s licensed single‑family rentals count is 5,143. She said the city has identified 63 multifamily complexes and is working to inspect all complexes, aiming to complete the current round of multifamily 100% inspections by mid‑year. For long‑term occupied units (occupied by the same tenant three years or longer), Martinez said the inspections will focus on life‑safety items and the city is rolling out an abbreviated three‑year inspection checklist.

Council reaction and issues raised: Council members supported the program’s emphasis on life‑safety inspections but asked about transparency and public access to inspection results. Councilman Green suggested publishing inspection outcomes or a simple summary (like health‑department style scores) to increase landlord accountability and help renters assess properties. Martinez said inspection reports are currently available by public records request and that the city’s citizen self‑service portal permits users to check whether a property has an active license.

Enforcement and next steps: Martinez said the city requires a local agent for licensed rental properties (a person who can respond quickly to issues) and that staff will continue outreach with property‑management stakeholders, pursue translation and education efforts, and refine the multifamily tier approach to identify properties that need more intensive follow‑up. No formal ordinances were adopted at the workshop; staff will continue operational implementation and return with updates.