Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing And Rental Regulation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pullman landlords and property managers tell council rental‑registration system is failing
Summary
Local property managers told the City Council that rental registration forms were rejected multiple times this year, leading to tickets for owners. They urged the city to fix the system; council members asked staff to review and for the police chief to bring recommended changes in August.
Two representatives of DRA Real Estate told the Pullman City Council on Tuesday that the city’s rental registration process is broken and is unfairly penalizing owners and property managers.
Kathy Wilson, broker/owner of DRA Real Estate, said she has completed and filed the city’s rental registration forms for more than a decade but that the city rejected the current year’s filings three times. "My owners have received tickets for failure to register the very same forms that I filled out for the last 10 plus years," Wilson said during the meeting’s public comment period. She said code enforcement staff had entered rental properties and taken photographs behind fences, which she called "trespassing."
Jonathan Wilson, associate broker and assistant manager for DRA Real Estate, told the council the office submitted the forms three times and the city has not accepted them. He said owners have received citations, and court action required them to bring the issue to city council. "The judge said we needed to take this to city council," Jonathan Wilson said. He pointed out the state RCW identifies the owner or designated property manager as responsible for registration, and said the city form requires owner information that does not appear in the state code.
Council members acknowledged the issue. Council member Guido said the problem appears to be a recent change in the city’s process without clear communication. Council member Weller said he has heard similar complaints, noted frustration at the delays and said Judge Hart had expressed frustration with the system. Mayor and staff later said Chief Brashears is tentatively scheduled to bring forward a recommendation related to rental registration in August.
The speakers asked the council to address rejected submissions and the resulting fines, noting many property owners live out of town and rely on managers to receive notices. Council members urged staff to examine the process and improve communication with owners and property managers. No formal motion was made during public comment; the meeting record shows staff will return with potential changes.
