Bellingham, Stand Up for Pet-Friendly Housing

Proposed Ordinance to Remove Barriers to Pets in Housing

ASPCA Position: Support Pro-Animal Provisions

Update — July 17, 2025: Good news! The Bellingham City Council passed an ordinance that will help families find and keep homes that welcome their beloved pets. Thank you for each action you took to advocate for this improvement!

The ordinance increases housing stability for renters and removes barriers to owning pets in rental housing by capping deposits. It also prevents landlords from charging hundreds or even thousands of dollars in other nonrefundable pet-related fees, like pet rent.

Now, landlords can only charge 2% of the monthly rent or a pet deposit of up to 30% of the monthly rent, but landlords cannot charge both. Furthermore, landlords are now prohibited from charging non-refundable pet-related fees.

Why Pet-Friendly Housing Is Important

Pet owners face huge barriers when searching for a home. Renters, especially lower income renters, are more likely to have to rehome their pet due to housing issues than for any other reason. When renters finally find housing that allows pets, it often comes with costly up front or ongoing pet deposits and/or pet-related fees. When added to other housing-related expenses, such as moving, security deposits, and application fees, these additional costs have a devastating impact on people who are already struggling to find cost-appropriate housing.

Pets are considered part of the family by most people, yet an increasing number of pet owners are being forced to surrender their animals due to restrictive and costly housing policies. It’s severing precious bonds and flooding animal shelters and rescues with pets who could have remained with their families if these barriers didn’t exist. This proposed ordinance is a huge step towards eliminating barriers to keeping pets at home with the people who love them.

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Advocacy Alert

Your Message

Subject Vote YES: Ordinance to Prohibit Unfair or Excessive Rental Fees

Dear Bellingham Councilmembers,

As a Bellingham resident, I am asking you to please support amendments to the draft titled “Ordinance Prohibiting Unfair and Excessive Rental Fees” to create greater housing stability for all renters, while encouraging more equitable access to housing for renters with pets.

The high cost of housing in Bellingham affects families in a variety of adverse ways, including putting families in a position where they are forced to choose between keeping their pet or keeping a roof over their head. As housing instability has increased, the upfront costs that landlords assess to allow a pet is regularly cited as a reason why people relinquish their pet to animal shelters.

Pet deposits, pet rent, and pet-related non reimbursable fees are adding up to put housing out of reach for most pet owners. A study conducted by the ASPCA shows that the majority of Bellingham landlords assess at least two types of these pet-related costs for rentals. While the current draft of the Ordinance to Prohibit Unfair or Excessive Rental Fees is a step in the right direction, these fees still impose an enormous burden on renters in the city.

Those who are willing and able to care for their pets should not be faced with the impossible decision of relinquishing their beloved animals due to a lack of housing options.

Once again, I ask that you please support an amendment to the draft Ordinance to Prohibit Unfair or Excessive Rental Fees to ensure that the excessive upfront and ongoing costs imposed by landlords doesn’t force families to make a decision to give up a member of their family.

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