Westminster staff push to adopt 2021 property maintenance code, expand rental inspections and launch online landlord directory

Lindsey Kimball, the city’s director of community services, told the Westminster City Council at its Oct. 20 study session that staff will seek adoption of the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code and return to the council for consideration in early 2026. The presentation outlined staffing changes, inspection-volume figures and several tenant-protection proposals, and staff said an online directory of landlords and inspection reports went live the morning of the meeting.

The move matters because the city estimates roughly 15,000 rental units and 514 registered rental properties within Westminster and wants a single, objective standard to guide inspections, improve professional certification among staff and raise insurance-audit ratings that can influence community insurance costs. "We would like to bring back to you for your adoption, the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code," Kimball said during the presentation.

City staff described three linked elements of their plan: adopt the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) as an objective inspection standard; increase field inspection capacity by repurposing existing positions and cross‑training personnel; and develop additional tenant protections and enforcement tools. Wadi Burgos, acting property standards administrator, said the department has increased inspection staff from what was "initially ... 3 housing inspectors to 9.5 FTEs," a change staff said will allow more systematic and complaint‑driven inspections.

Staff gave specific operational numbers to illustrate workload and reach. Burgos said year‑to‑date work in 2025 included 64 new complaint inspections and 77…