Landlord and Tenant Advisory Work Group

Page last updated on:

August 28, 2026

With more than half of Bellingham residents renting their homes, we want to create better, more regular opportunities to hear from people who rent and people who manage rentals. The Landlord and Tenant Advisory Work Group will help evaluate and identify improvements for City rental programs, policies and practices. Members will represent tenants, landlords, and community members with lived and professional experience in rental issues.

Meeting materials

Agendas, minutes, and other meeting materials can be found here when the work group begins meeting.

MEETING DATE	MEETING AGENDA + MATERIALS	MEETING MINUTES
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15

Timeline and meeting schedule

Work group members were appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by City Council on August 24, 2026.
The group meets approximately monthly from 6-8 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month starting on September 15, 2026, in the Mayor’s Boardroom on the 2nd floor of City Hall.
All work of the work group, including presentation of a final report and recommendations, is expected to be completed no later than the end of 2027.
The work group will terminate upon presentation of a final report and recommendations to the Mayor and City Council.

Membership

The limited-term work group is composed of 13 members appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. This advisory group has defined member roles to help ensure we hear from diverse voices and perspectives. You can find the requirements for members of this advisory group below.

Additional information about expectations of advisory group members, and of the City in facilitating advisory groups, is available on our Facilitating Successful Community Engagement with City Advisory Groups page.

Members will fill the following roles:

Tenant Experience: At least four residents who are currently tenants in Bellingham. Preference for these positions shall be given to applicants who: are income-constrained; are students renting off-campus housing; represent vulnerable communities; or have other experiences that reflect the diverse demographics of Bellingham’s renters.

Landlord Experience: At least three residents who are currently landlords or rental property managers within Bellingham.

Community Connections: At least one individual with experience and training in building/construction trades and/or inspections, non-profit housing, tenant advocacy, conflict resolution, community engagement, or related experience. Individuals in this area shall not represent the views of their employer but may draw on that experience.

Legal Experience: At least one individual with legal experience and training in tenant rights, landlord-tenant laws, housing, human rights, civil liberties, or similar fields. Individuals in this area shall not represent the views of their employer but may draw on that experience.

Ex-Officio Members: Elected officials and people employed by the City of Bellingham will not be appointed to the work group but may serve as non-voting, ex-officio members at the discretion of the Mayor. Other individuals or organizations identified by the Mayor may also serve as non-voting, ex-officio members. Council confirmation is not required for non-voting ex-officio members.

On August 24, 2026, Mayor Lund appointed and the City Council confirmed the membership of this limited-term workgroup. Those members are:

Lizet Albarran
McLean Bowers
Stacey Carroll
Nathan Cathersal
Margo Hammond
Selena Knoblauch
Lacey Lutjemeier
Charly Myers
Bailee Peterson
Kevin Schilling
Rebekah Sharf
Jessica Silver
Kimberly Vermeulen

Background and purpose

The City’s landlord and tenant programs are critical to supporting safe, quality rental housing in Bellingham. Originally established in 2015, the City’s Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program currently has more than 22,500 rental units registered. In recent years, the City has put additional requirements in place to support fair, affordable, and accessible rental housing.

Feedback from affected people and businesses has been essential to our landlord and tenant actions in recent years, and City leaders wish to hear additional input.

In May 2026, the Bellingham City Council approved Resolution #2026-10 to create the Landlord and Tenant Advisory Work Group. The purpose of the work group is to research, discuss, and develop informed recommendations regarding the City’s landlord and tenant requirements and programs.

The work group will address the following items and present a final report and recommendations to the City.

Evaluate existing City regulations, policies and systems relative to landlord and tenant requirements and make recommendations for improvement.
The workgroup may identify issues that go beyond the scope of work pertaining to current policies, requirements, and programs for inclusion in the final report, for possible follow-up work by the City.
Identify and/or consider potential funding sources for future program enhancements.
Review rental inspection processes and checklists and make recommendations for enhancements and improvements that are allowable within applicable laws, codes and ordinances, including the International Residential Code, the International Building Code, and the International Property Maintenance Code.
Review existing communication, education and promotional materials, City events, and other City resources, and make recommendations to enhance and improve strategies to reach intended audiences.
Review survey, focus group and other data and public engagement feedback previously gathered by the City about landlord and tenant needs and experiences and consider ways for the work group to use this information in its work.
Review and provide feedback on proposed plans for future data gathering and public engagement efforts.

Additional Information

Contact

Mayor’s Office Contacts