Property Maintenance in Bellingham, WA (2026)
2 verified property maintenance rules for Bellingham, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
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.
Bellingham Building Official May Condemn Unsafe Buildings
Significant RestrictionsBellingham Municipal Code § 17.10.020, Construction Administrative Code § 116.1
Structures or existing equipment that are or hereafter become unsafe, unsanitary or deficient because of inadequate means of egress facilities, inadequate light and ventilation, or which constitute a fire hazard, or are otherwise dangerous to human life or the public welfare, or that involve illegal or improper occupancy or inadequate maintenance, shall be deemed an unsafe condition. Unsafe str...
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.
Bellingham Vacant Lot Litter Ban
Some RestrictionsBellingham Municipal Code § 10.60.140
10.60.140 Deposit on vacant lots prohibited. No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property within the city whether owned by such person or not. [Ord. 8573 § 15(U), 1977].
Looking for Whatcom County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bellingham city rules.
Property Maintenance in Whatcom County →