What to know about new program
New legislation in Binghamton aims to protect renters with a solution to effective code enforcement.
The Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program, Binghamton City Council member Rebecca Rathmell said, will involve “a city-wide, community-driven conversation that is long overdue.”
The program claims to offer solutions to the housing crisis by implementing protocols and procedures to prevent properties from deteriorating and demolition with strategic code enforcement. The City of Binghamton currently operates on a complaint-based code enforcement system.
The program will require every landlord in Binghamton to obtain a license to operate a rental housing business. Properties will be registered and subject to routine inspections.
An annual $100 fee would be required per unit, going into effect Jan. 31, 2026. The fee can be reduced to accommodate property owners that are registered under the state Rental Registration ordinance and have no code violations or fewer than five violations that have been corrected.
Who is exempt from inspections?
Rental units that will not be required to follow the program requirements include medically licensed facilities, subsidized units, new construction and two-family owner units.
The program is estimated to generate $1 million in revenue that will fund rehabilitation and relocation for residents.
“For too long, renters and home-owners alike have contacted Binghamton’s Code Enforcement Department with concerns about unsafe conditions only to watch as buildings continue to deteriorate without any efforts to repair,” Rathmell said in a statement. “There is no excuse for the City’s failure to prioritize the health of residents or to preserve our existing housing stock. This legislation accomplishes both.”
Four code enforcement officers would be needed within three years of the program launching.
What are the guidelines for inspections and compliance?
- Inspections will be conducted in three-year intervals
- A notice of compliance will be issued if no violations are found
If violations are found, a list identifying all violations will be sent out with the deadline for repairs, reinspection date, and a $50 fee.
How will this program be enforced?
Property owners who fail to comply could be prohibited from filing an eviction notice and rent could not be collected until they are in compliance.
There are an estimated 672 occupied properties in poor condition within Broome County according to Rathmell, which doesn’t include the 352 properties considered to be in substandard condition.
Notice of compliance would be revoked if violations are not addressed after the initial inspection. If the violations are not corrected, owners could be summoned and charged up to $1000 a day for each day the violation continues. Any charges not paid within six months will be levied to the property’s tax bill.
Community members will be involved in the development of the program, Rathmell said. “I’ve said over and over that residents deserve to be included in decisions regarding the policies and protocol that impact their daily lives. I will be at every Neighborhood Association meeting that will have me to receive feedback on program requirements and implementation and plan to host multiple town halls.”
The proposal was discussed during Binghamton City Council’s work session earlier this month, when council members expressed their support for the legislation and desire to push it forward to the planning committee. The planning committee has not reviewed the proposal, but city council anticipated a decision would happen in early April.
Rathmell said she plans to host a community town hall before the end of April to get input from residents.
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