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City of Bellingham wants tenant, landlord feedback on rental fee ordinances

Online survey open through Feb. 14. City also hosting focus groups.

By Julia Tellman Local News Reporter

Bellingham City Council is asking tenants, mobile home residents, landlords, property managers and other community members to weigh in on proposed city ordinances promoting fair and transparent rental fees. 

In September 2024, council member Jace Cotton introduced two ordinances to prohibit “unfair and excessive” fees in rental housing and manufactured home communities. Cotton has said high moving expenses and hidden monthly costs can be a barrier for tenants, so limiting “junk fees” is one way the city can make a dent in the housing crisis. 

The council has held several work sessions to review the ordinances and heard public comment, and city staff have drafted alternative ordinances that are supposed to simplify compliance and enforcement. 

On Jan. 6, the city planning department proposed hiring an additional code compliance officer to help educate landlords and enforce violations. Funding for the position would come from increasing rental registration fees by $10 per unit annually. Currently, around 21,000 rental units are registered in the city’s system. 

Tenants, landlords and mobile home residents are invited to take a survey in English or Spanish about their rental or ownership experience, as well as the proposed ordinances, at engagebellingham.org. Respondents will not be asked for identifying information in the survey, which closes on Feb. 14. 

The city will also hold focus groups, facilitated by Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, with larger landlords and property management companies, smaller landlords, and tenants and community housing organizations.

After gathering information from the survey and focus groups, the city council will revisit the ordinances at future meetings.

Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.

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