If you have failed your rental safety inspection and will not be able to complete repairs by the deadline required by the City, we can approve an extension under specific circumstances. If you would like to apply for an extension, please read the qualifying information below. If you qualify, you may submit the form below to be considered.
Getting an extension is not guaranteed.
Qualifying events and situations
You may request an extension only if you meet one of these three requirements:
- Your contractor has started work but can’t finish prior to the City deadline.
- You have not been able to locate a contractor to start work until after the deadline.
- Other challenges or emergencies determined valid by a City of Bellingham building official. This may include weather-related delays.
You must provide proof of the qualifying event
We need to know that you have taken steps to address the issue. You will need to provide us with correspondence between you and your contractor that shows that one of the above requirements applies to your situation.
Issues related to windows opening
When a window does not open wide enough or stay open to allow a person to exit a bedroom in the case of an emergency, the bedroom lacks sufficient egress. An extension request may be submitted for this scenario. However, if this situation applies to your extension request, it must be accompanied by an explanation of any temporary safety measure(s) you are taking to protect your tenant (such as relocating the tenant to another bedroom and/or providing a fire extinguisher).
Non-qualifying events and situations
We will not grant extension requests for work that can be done without a contractor, including the following:
- Dysfunctional or missing Smoke detectors
- Dysfunctional or missing CO2 detectors
- Address numbers not visible from the street
- Garbage/rubbish accumulation outside of trash receptacles
Extension requests must be submitted at least 48 hours before a scheduled inspection.
If an extension request is not granted and/or the safety inspection has not been passed prior to the deadline established by the City, the license will be deemed out of compliance with BMC 6.16 and may be referred to Code Compliance.
- If you are utilizing a City inspector and a request is not submitted prior to 48 hours of the inspection, the City will perform and charge for the scheduled inspection.
- If you are using a private inspector and repairs cannot be made prior to the City-determined deadline, your extension must be approved prior to that deadline.
Getting an extension does not exempt you from legal rental liabilities.
State law requires landlords to begin addressing repairs within the following timeframes based on the severity of issues. It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure that repairs are finished promptly. If finishing the project is delayed due to circumstances beyond their control, the landlord must finish the repairs as soon as possible.
The landlord must begin remedial action within:
- 24 hours for issues with hot or cold water, heat, or electricity, or those imminently hazardous to life.
- 72 hours for issues with refrigerators, ranges and ovens, or major plumbing fixtures supplied by a landlord.
- 10 days for everything else.
