Find information about safety inspection requirements, fees, timelines, private inspections, what to expect during inspections, requirements for notifying tenants, and what happens if a rental fails inspection.
Safety Inspections Required Before Renting
Before you can begin renting your property, the unit must be inspected by a City or qualified private safety inspector.
Knowing When an Inspection is Required
The City assigns inspection schedules, which occur approximately every 3-3.5 years per unit. When a property is due for inspection, the city will send out a Notice of Inspection to the primary contact listed on the account. The notice will include the following information:
- The dates of the assigned inspection timeline.
- The inspection preference for the applicable rental units (City or private).
- The date the City inspector will be visiting the unit(s) or the final date a private inspector will need to submit the Declaration of Inspection to the City.
Notice to Tenants is Required
Tenants must be provided written notification of the inspection 48 hours (or more) in advance of the date/time assigned according to RCW59.18.150(6).
The city has been split into three inspection zones made up of a cluster of neighborhoods. Each neighborhood will be assigned an inspection quarter over the span of approximately 3.5 years, as shown below.
| Inspection Zone 1 | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Sehome | April – June 2022 (wrap-up) January – March 2020 – postponed due to Covid-19 |
| York | July – September 2022 |
| Happy Valley | Mid-January – April 2023 |
| South Hill / Fairhaven / Edgemoore / South | May – August 2023 |
| Inspection Zone 2 | Timeline |
| Roosevelt | September – November 2023 |
| Puget / Samish | February – May 2024 |
| Alabama Hill / Silver Beach / Whatcom Falls | May – August 2024 |
| Barkley / Irongate / King Mountain | August – October 2024 |
| Inspection Zone 3 | Timeline |
| City Center / Lettered Streets | October – December 2024 |
| Sunnyland / Columbia | January – March 2025 |
| Birchwood / Cornwall Park | April – June 2025 |
| Meridian / Cordata | July – September 2025 |
You can learn more about what inspectors look for by reviewing this Safety Inspection Checklist. Both the city inspectors and the private inspectors review the same checklist items.
Inspection Options
Property owners have the option to use a City of Bellingham inspector or a qualified private inspector who has passed the Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program training course and possesses at least one of the following credentials:
- American Association of Code Enforcement property maintenance and housing inspector certification.
- International Code Council property maintenance and housing inspector certification.
- International Code Council residential building code inspector.
- Washington State licensed home inspector.
- Other acceptable credentials the director establishes by rule.
Changing an Inspection Preference
After receiving the notice of inspection from the City, a property owner/property management agency may be interested in changing who performs the inspection (City of Bellingham vs. Private Inspector).
Changing from Private Inspector to City of Bellingham Inspector
- Notify the Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program team that you are interested in switching preferences. They can be reached at 1-360-778-8361 or rentals@cob.org.
- You will be assigned a date and a two-hour window that can accommodate the number of units that require an inspection.
- The fees will be adjusted from a $45 per unit program fee (separate inspection fees would have been paid directly to the private inspector) to a $100 per unit inspection fee (program fee included).
- A new Notice of Inspection/Invoice will be provided by the City.
Changing from City of Bellingham Inspector to a Private Inspector
- Cancel any appointments with the City of Bellingham inspector by calling the Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program team at 1-360-778-8361 or rentals@cob.org.
- Select an approved qualified private inspector and schedule the inspection to occur prior to the end of the applicable inspection quarter;
- NOTE: It is necessary to only schedule inspections for those units the City has indicated in the Notice of Inspection.
- The fees will be adjusted from a $100 per unit inspection fee (program fee included) to a $45 program fee (separate inspection fees will be paid directly to the private inspector).
- A new Notice of Inspection/Invoice will be provided by the City.
- After the inspection has been completed, submit the Declaration of Inspection (provided to you by the inspector) to the City.
Safety Inspection Fee
This fee is due only during the inspection quarter assigned to a rental unit’s neighborhood.
- $100.00/unit for City of Bellingham Inspector
- $45.00/unit program fee for Private Inspector.
- The City of Bellingham will charge a $45/unit program fee separate from the fees that the private inspector will require for the inspections they perform.
Learn More Fees and Fines
Review the program fee schedule for a complete list of additional charges for late payments, missed appointments and safety re-inspections.
Pay a Fee Online
Visit our online payment system. You will need the customer number from your invoice. If you didn’t get an invoice, email rentals@cob.org to get your number.
Mail or Hand Deliver
Deliver to the City of Bellingham Finance Department at City Hall. Make checks payable to the “City of Bellingham Finance Director.” Include your license numbers on the memo line or the remittance slip from your invoice.
What to Expect from the Inspector
Safety inspections take approximately 15-20 minutes. Both City and private inspectors are required to:
- Arrive at the rental property on the prescheduled date and time.
- For City inspectors, this is a two-hour window of time.
- Conduct the inspection using the Safety Inspection Checklist.
- Provide the results (passed, passed with conditions, or failed) to the primary contact listed on the license.
Owner Requirements
Tenants will need to be provided written notification of the inspection 48 hours (or more) in advance of the date/time assigned.
Tenant, Owner and Manager Roles During the Inspection
An adult (property owner, tenant, managing agent, or other designee) must be present for the inspection.
Whether you are a tenant, property manager, or the property owner, you should:
- Be present for the two-hour block of time to allow the inspector access to the unit (unless another adult will be there) and remain onsite for the duration of the inspection.
- Know that it is totally appropriate to request to see the inspector’s ID prior to allowing entrance to the unit.
- Ask any questions that you may have on the notes the inspector is making during the inspection.
Passed or Passed with Conditions
After the property has received an inspection result of passed or passed with conditions and the safety inspection fees have posted to the account, a Statement of Compliance will be sent to the primary contact for their records.
In the case of a private inspection, the Declaration of Inspection must be submitted to the City via mail (210 Lottie Street, Bellingham WA 98225) or email (rentals@cob.org) to show the unit has passed.
Failed Inspections
If an inspector identifies items on the checklist that do not meet standards, the inspection will receive a failed result. The property owner/managing agent will need to make arrangements for those items to be corrected in a timely manner. Depending on the severity of the issue, a re-inspection may be required once corrections have been made.
For more information on corrections and re-inspections, contact the Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program at 1-360-778-8361 or rentals@cob.org.
Uninhabitable Properties
In cases where the rental property is deemed uninhabitable and the tenants must be moved out, a City Building Official should be notified immediately at 1-360-778-8307 or 1-360-778-8300.
Contact Us
For questions about the Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program, call 1-360-778-8361 or email rentals@cob.org.
