The Tacoma City Council passed Ordinance 29125, implementing a consistent, comprehensive, and legally defensible standard for property maintenance and strengthening the City’s tools for addressing repeat and chronic violations, effective January 1, 2027.
“I have heard from numerous residents about the need for cleaner, safer neighborhoods,” said Tacoma Mayor Anders Ibsen. “This update to our property maintenance code helps us reach that goal. I am excited to work with staff in the coming year to enhance how the City addresses nuisance properties and makes Tacoma an even more wonderful city.”
“This update to Tacoma’s property maintenance code reflects important work to strengthen our standards and improve how the City addresses repeat and chronic violations,” said Deputy Mayor Joe Bushnell. “This is an issue I hear about frequently in District 5, where community members have called for these improvements. Their feedback has helped underscore the importance of updating our code so the City is better equipped to address ongoing concerns that affect people and the neighborhoods they call home. I’m pleased the Council is moving this change forward, and I look forward to working with the community next year to educate residents about the new code, what it means for their neighborhoods, and how the updated standards will be implemented.”
“This update is about making Tacoma’s property maintenance code work better for everyone,” said District 2 Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh. “We’ve taken a careful look at how other cities handle these issues so we can create clearer, more consistent standards and make the code easier for residents to understand. Just as importantly, we’re strengthening how the City addresses chronic violations that can affect the livability of an entire neighborhood. Our responsibility is to make thoughtful decisions, use public resources wisely, and help create neighborhoods where people feel proud of the places they call home.”
“This is an important and long-overdue step toward giving Tacoma a more effective property maintenance code,” said District 4 Council Member Sandesh Sadalge. “District 4 residents have consistently called for stronger code compliance, especially when repeat violations diminish the quality of life in their neighborhoods and community members are left dealing with the consequences. This code allows for education and voluntary compliance but gives us the ability to respond more firmly when responsible parties refuse to comply. While I’m encouraged that we’re making these necessary policy changes, I’m frustrated that residents will not see a difference without a corresponding investment in enforcement capacity. Ensuring we have the resources to put this ordinance into practice needs to be a priority in future budget discussions.”
The City currently relies on limited tools, including nuisance provisions found in Chapter 8.30 and minimum building standards in Chapter 2.01. Those existing frameworks leave meaningful gaps in the City’s enforcement authority and do not provide a consistent or comprehensive standard for property maintenance across roughly 4,500 annual cases.
To resolve these enforcement limitations, the City evaluated modernization options, benchmarked peer jurisdictions, and drafted local code amendments that integrate International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC) standards into Tacoma’s Property Maintenance and Nuisance Code.
The ordinance also amends related administrative sections governing the Hearing Examiner, building regulations, health, and public safety under Titles 1, 2, 5, and 8.
Section 7 of the ordinance dictates that the expanded enforcement program will become operational no earlier than nine months after the City Council appropriates dedicated funding for its implementation. This timeline allows for community outreach and education, necessary policy and systems updates, and the recruitment, hiring and onboarding of staff necessary to implement the program.
More information is available at tacoma.gov/IPMC.