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Oakland’s Vacant, Foreclosed & Defaulted Building Registration Program: What Owners Really Need to Know

Oakland has some of the most beautiful architecture in the Bay Area, and some of the most vulnerable. Vacant buildings, especially those tied up in foreclosure or loan default, can slip into disrepair fast. That’s when you get blight, break-ins, fire risk, and unhappy neighbors.


To keep those problems in check, Oakland requires certain properties to register with the City and follow strict inspection and maintenance rules. The full municipal program details are available here: Planning & Building Documents, but below we give you the plain-English version of how it works (and how to stay out of trouble).


Note: Oakland also has a completely separate Vacant Property Tax (Measure W), which deals with the required taxes for these properties. For that guide, click here.


When and how must you register a property?

A building must be registered within 30 days if the building becomes vacant, a notice of default is recorded, or the building enters foreclosure (even if the building is still occupied). Importantly, missing registration results in a $5,000 initial penalty and up to $1,000 per day for failing to perform required ongoing inspections - discussed below.


At the time of registration, you must


After the initial registration, you must

  • Conduct all required self-inspections (weekly or monthly)

  • Pay the fee annually for as long as the property is in default or vacant

  • File any updates to the status of the property


Inspection Requirements

Owners must perform an initial inspection of the property to complete its registration, then ongoing self-inspections to prevent blight and fire hazards. Occupied buildings require monthly inspections, while vacant buildings require weekly inspections.


The city provides a detailed inspection form that covers exterior blight, unsecured openings, evidence of trespass, and exterior damage - you can find more detail at the end of the page linked above. These inspections must be documented, kept on file, and submitted to the City upon request.


And note as part of the program you’ll need a LOCAL property manager (if the owner does not live within 30 miles), and that manager must hold an active Oakland Business License.


When is it time to de-register?

Owners must de-register the building within 30 days when the loan default is resolved, the building becomes legally occupied or the property is sold.


Property Atlas can help

With our debut in Oakland, Property Atlas can help you track required inspections, renewal deadlines, and property status, and alert you in real time to potential issues or fines. Explore the tool and see how we can help you stay ahead of compliance.



Brought to you by Property Atlas.

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