If you own a two-story apartment building in San Jose with carports or tuck-under parking on the ground floor, you may have had October 1, 2026 circled as the soft-story screening deadline. That date no longer applies: the city has pushed the program back again. You have more time, but not a reason to forget about it.
What changed
The City Council approved the Soft Story Seismic Retrofit Ordinance in September 2024, and it has been delayed twice since. In March 2025 the council moved the effective date from April 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026. In March 2026 it moved the date again, to April 1, 2027, while the city worked on its federal FEMA grant application. (Both council votes are older background.)
Screening is due 18 months after the effective date, which now puts the screening deadline at October 1, 2028. Retrofit deadlines moved too. One engineering firm that says it confirmed the schedule with the city in August 2026 lists completion deadlines of April 1, 2032 for Group 1, 2033 for Group 2, and 2034 for Group 3. Some older material, including the city’s own website, still shows earlier dates, so confirm with the city.
Which buildings are covered
According to the city’s program, a subject building generally:
- Is wood-frame and was built or permitted before January 1, 1990
- Has at least two stories and three or more units
- Has a weak “target story,” usually a ground floor with parking or wide openings
Buildings are sorted into three groups: Group 1 is pre-1978 with five or more units, Group 2 is 1978 through 1989 with five or more units, and Group 3 is everything else with three or more units. The city estimates about 8,000 housing units sit in vulnerable soft-story buildings.
What this means for your building
The city says no action is required before April 1, 2027 unless you want financial assistance. Grant money is limited, and a building has to be screened before it can qualify, so the city recommends that interested owners screen now through the online form on SJPermits.org. The Housing Department is also running a pilot retrofit financing program.
On cost, a 2023 city memo estimated soft-story mitigation at $40,000 to $130,000 per property. That figure is three years old, so treat it as a rough starting point.
If a sale is in your future, expect buyers and lenders to ask whether the building is covered and whether it has been screened. A completed screening and an engineer’s estimate turn an open question into a number a buyer can underwrite.
The counterpoint
Two delays can make the program feel optional, but the ordinance has been adopted, not repealed. Owners who wait may compete with many others for engineers and contractors as deadlines approach, and grant funds may run out. On the other side, nothing requires you to spend money today, and the schedule could change again.
Frequently asked questions
Did I miss the October 1, 2026 deadline? No. That date was tied to an earlier effective date. With the ordinance now taking effect April 1, 2027, screening is due October 1, 2028.
Does this apply outside San Jose? No. It covers the City of San Jose only; other cities set their own rules.
Is my fourplex covered? It could be, if it meets the criteria above. Buildings with fewer than five units fall into Group 3.
Can I pass retrofit costs on to tenants? Probably not, but that depends on your building’s rent-control status and any assistance terms. Ask the city’s Rent Stabilization Program or a landlord-tenant attorney.
How much does screening cost? Pricing varies. Some engineering firms advertise flat-fee screenings starting around $1,500, and the city may charge its own processing fee.
Know what a retrofit means for your value
A soft-story requirement is now one more line item buyers will price in. If you own an older San Jose building and are weighing whether to retrofit, refinance, or sell, I can prepare a free Broker Opinion of Value that accounts for your building’s soft-story status, so you can compare your options with real numbers.
Michael Shields, CCIM
Silicon Valley Multifamily Group
408-356-1900
michael@svmultifamily.com
DRE 01327546