Viking Community Builders - Rental Condition Survey Results

Viking Community Builders (VCB) of Western Washington University, a student organization engaged in community service activities, has completed a survey of rental conditions that began 6 months ago.

In conjunction with Neighbors for Safe Rentals, the VCB conducted the survey using an web-based service. The survey’s purpose was to determine the extent to which rental conditions, according to renters within the city, might indicate the necessity for a rental licensing and inspection ordinance. Over 500 renters had taken the survey as of April 2011. More than three hundred left written comments.

You can view a copy of the executive summary of the survey's data by clicking here. Most striking is the table of ten separate health and safety categories rated by the survey respondents: electrical, fire safety, security, plumbing, mold, heating, structure, refuse, vermin and surfaces. The percentage of responses indicating serious health and safety issues was disturbingly high in some categories.

Health and Safety Issues Reported

Summary Table

Type of Health or Safety Problem	% of Issues Reported to Owner But Not Resolved	% of Issues Not Reported to Owner	Combined % of Renters Noting a Problem
Electrical	14%	8%	22%
Fire Safety	9%	28%	37%
Security	13%	21%	34%
Plumbing	17%	12%	29%
Mold	25%	20%	45%
Heating	24%	23%	47%
Structure	12%	14%	26%
Refuse	7%	8%	15%
Vermin	8%	8%	16%
Surfaces	17%	17%	34%

A copy of the survey's questions and the detailed results can be found by clicking here.

Comments on renters' experiences were also revealing. Click here to read the 175 comments left by respondents. Over 200 respondents commented also on the reason for which they did not report problems to their landlord or property manager. Click here to review these comments. 175 renters also provided written feedback on the cost of renting in Bellingham. These comments can be found by clicking here.

Conclusion as stated in the Executive Summary of the survey data:

"Results from the rental survey suggest that many buildings would have failed inspection at the time of the survey. Many of these code violations represent an immediate threat to health or safety. Given the low number of official complaints that are made to the city, this survey indicates a substantial void between existing problems and reported problems. A “complaint based system”, as exists now, is not a solution that will bring the deficiencies into the open. Rental housing stock needs oversight and enforcement to correct substandard housing and to motivate unresponsive landlords and rental management companies to make repairs."

Viking Community Builders Survey on Rental Conditions

You can take the Viking Community Builders survey on rental conditions by clicking here.

Since last November, the Viking Community Builders of WWU, have been running a survey of conditions in rentals within the city of Bellingham. One need not be a student to take the survey. You only have to be or have been a renter in the city.