The city had received ten complaints about the property since 1998, including formal complaints about hazardous garbage and construction debris around the building.
The Oakland Planning and Building Department opened an investigation into the building on November 13 based on a complaint about "blight" and "illegal interior construction".
City building inspectors visited the warehouse on November 17, confirming the report of blight, but when no one answered the door, were unable to enter and investigate the report of illegal construction.
Inspectors are required to obtain permission from owners to gain entry, and when that fails, must seek a court order.
A spokesperson for the Planning and Building Department stated that promoters of events like the concert on December 2 are required to obtain a special permit, but none had been issued.
The City of Oakland's planning director revealed that the building had not been inspected for three decades.

Although police and fire officials warned that the warehouse was a fire hazard, the Ghost Ship's founder, Derick Ion Almena, was reported to have ignored these concerns.
The vice president of the local firefighters union said that the fire marshal's office had been understaffed for years and that a fire inspector upon seeing the conditions of the Ghost Ship "would have shut the place down".
On December 13, the Oakland Fire Chief said "there were no indications this was an active business", that there are no city records showing her department had received complaints about the building and that the department "inspects businesses, not buildings".
The city had received ten complaints about the property since 1998, including formal complaints about hazardous garbage and construction debris around the building. The Oakland Planning and Building Department opened an investigation into the building on November 13 based on a complaint about "blight" and "illegal interior construction". City building inspectors visited the warehouse on November 17, confirming the report of blight, but when no one answered the door, were unable to enter and investigate the report of illegal construction. Inspectors are required to obtain permission from owners to gain entry, and when that fails, must seek a court order. A spokesperson for the Planning and Building Department stated that promoters of events like the concert on December 2 are required to obtain a special permit, but none had been issued. The City of Oakland's planning director revealed that the building had not been inspected for three decades.
Although police and fire officials warned that the warehouse was a fire hazard, the Ghost Ship's founder, Derick Ion Almena, was reported to have ignored these concerns. The vice president of the local firefighters union said that the fire marshal's office had been understaffed for years and that a fire inspector upon seeing the conditions of the Ghost Ship "would have shut the place down". On December 13, the Oakland Fire Chief said "there were no indications this was an active business", that there are no city records showing her department had received complaints about the building and that the department "inspects businesses, not buildings".
Ghost Ship warehouse fire