The
Rental Registration & Safety Inspection Program has hit the ground
running! After higher-than-expected participation in the initial
registration period, the City of Bellingham has spent the last month
organizing and reconciling the database of over 5,000 rental properties
(totaling 17,000 units), and has achieved two important milestones in
recent weeks.
List of registered rental properties published online
The unaudited list of registered properties is available to the public
at www.cob.org/rentals.
Organized by neighborhood, this list allows renters to confirm that
their rental property will be held to the program's health and safety
standards. It is important to note that a property's inclusion on this
list does not establish, confirm or validate compliance of the subject
property with the requirements of Bellingham Municipal Code Titles 17
(Buildings and Construction) and 20 (Land Use Development).
Additionally, inclusion on the list does not convey any additional
rights associated with non-conformity and/or vested use of any rental
property.
If any member of the public is aware of a rental property that does not
appear on the list, please contact the program specialist at
360-778-8361 or rentals@cob.org.
Rental Certificates mailed out
Secondly, the certificates of registration have been mailed out. This
8.5″x11″ certificate must be posted in a visible location in each rental
unit of the rental property. This could be on a wall, the back of a
closet or cabinet door, or in a window. A single registration
certificate for each property has been sent to the property owner or
landlord, allowing them to make as many copies as necessary for the
property.
To preserve the longevity of the certificate, the City recommends
laminating it or keeping it a plastic sheet protector, but this is by no
means required by the program. If you registered a rental property and
do not receive a registration certificate in the next two weeks, please
contact the program specialist at 360-778-8361 or
rentals@cob.org.
Thank you to the owners and landlords who successfully registered their
property to the program. Inspections will begin in 2016. See
www.cob.org/rentals for the
inspection checklist.
