Are
Many citizens of
The city council will soon vote on whether or not to continue with the development of a rental licensing program. If set into motion, the program has four different possible methods of approach; health and safety, nuisances, regulating tenancy situations and making efforts to engage universities in cooperatively solving problems with off-campus rentals.
Although the method of approach Bellingham could potentially use remains unclear, citizens are concerned about the health and safety of rental units, “people are living in rundown houses and slums,” said Anne Mackie, owner of Nelson’s Market and president of the York Neighborhood Association, “[health and safety] is a major issue.”
Health and safety of the rental units
Mackie believes that low-income populations (including students) renting in
Mackie is co-blogger of “Neighbors for Safe Rentals” with Dick Conoby. “If it looks like crap, it is crap,” said Conoby of rental units in
In 1998, the City of Pasco, Wash. began implementing their rental licensing program. According to Mitch Nickolds – Inspection Services Manager in
At least 20% of properties were in need of a substantial upgrade, and there were serious issues with gas and electrical maintenance, said Nickolds. “Homes with young kids would have stoves on top of milk crates, people were just making do anyway they could live.”
The current legal system
“I have 15-years experience dealing with landlords I call ‘the slumlords of Bellingham,’” said Richard Maneval, president of the Association of Bellingham Neighborhoods and a landlord himself, “when you have a difficult landlord the legal system isn’t helpful at all.”
The residential landlord-tenant act (59.18 RCW) states that all landlords must keep their homes habitable during tenancy, and that it is illegal to rent out a home that is knowingly in violation of health and safety codes. Tenants have the right to notify landlords and complain of unfit living situations, as well as to have their rental unit remedied within a timely manner.
“The issue is people are apprehensive about complaining,” said Maneval, “especially if they are just going to move.” Other community members have also questioned the effectiveness of the current complaint-based system. “You need a license to have a dog, I need a license to sell pancakes, rental housing is a business and should be treated as such,” said Mackie, “there are many, many families and nonstudents, as well as students, who need protection from the city.”
The
According to Nickolds, since the rental licensing program has been in effect in
“The best thing that came out of the program,” said Nickolds, “was that it educated landlords and tenants collectively, people now know what they are doing.” The majority of complaints currently come from people who are simply just unfamiliar with the system.
The future of
“I love that
“I want a guarantee that housing in Bellingham is safe,” said Mackie when asked her preferred outcome of the continuing debate, “I want it well kept, legally run and for people who are paying rent to be guaranteed good housing.”