Bellingham's Property Maintenance: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles property maintenance a little differently. In Bellingham, Washington, there are 2 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Vacant Lot Maintenance

Bellingham bars anyone, including the owner, from throwing or depositing litter on open or vacant private property in the city. BMC 10.60.140 sits inside the city's litter control chapter, which also requires owners of any private property to keep their premises litter-free and sets tiered civil fines plus a per-cubic-foot cleanup charge.

Key details: Governing section: BMC 10.60.140. Applies to: Open or vacant private property. Applies even if: Property owner did the dumping. Penalty, up to 1 cu ft: $50.00 civil infraction. Penalty, over 1 cu ft: $250.00 civil infraction.

Under BMC 10.60.320, violating any provision of Chapter 10.60, including the vacant-lot rule in BMC 10.60.140, is a civil infraction. Littering an amount of one cubic foot or less carries a default and maximum penalty of $50.00, not including statutory assessments; littering more than one cubic foot carries a default and maximum penalty of $250.00. The court also imposes a litter cleanup fee of $25.00 per cubic foot of litter, unless suspended or modified, and may order the violator to personally pick up and remove the litter with the property owner's permission in lieu of part or all of that fee.

Property Blight

Bellingham's locally adopted Construction Administrative Code lets the building official declare a structure unsafe for hazards, illegal occupancy, or vacancy, and order it repaired, secured, or posted Do Not Occupy.

Key details: Governing code: Construction Administrative Code § 116.1. Vacant + unsecured: Automatically deemed unsafe. Posting power: 'Do Not Occupy' order. Max penalty: $5,000 fine, 364 days jail.

Occupying a posted 'Do Not Occupy' structure or ignoring an abatement order is a gross misdemeanor -- up to $5,000 in fines, 364 days in jail, plus enforcement costs.

Compared to other cities, Bellingham takes a harder line on property blight. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

The Bottom Line

Bellingham's property maintenance rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Bellingham is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Bellingham's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.