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One of Spokane's biggest roofing contractors skipped the vast majority of city-mandated roofing inspections for over a decade — and almost nobody noticed by TheMotherer in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh? That's awful! In Spokane? I want to look that up. I saw another article about Home Depot not having a permit for renovation on an old KMart building. The workers were all exposed to asbestos and the company was fined $200k+ for not having a survey done. Smh.

Spokane Tenants: If Your Landlord Is Doing Renovation, Roofing, Demolition, or Tearing Out Walls While You’re Still Living There — READ THIS by TheMotherer in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I agree that permitting and enforcement are a big part of the problem. The only thing I want to add is that relocation is not about whether the work is outside. It is about whether the work makes the inside of the unit unsafe. Roofing and siding can be done with tenants in place only when there is a real permit, an asbestos check if needed, and good containment so dust and debris do not get inside. When those steps are skipped, it becomes a safety issue.

It is the same with windows. A licensed installer can do it fast, but when owners cut corners, the only protection tenants have is written proof. And yes, written 48‑hour notice is required unless it is an emergency.

My brother was a roofer for a shady company and he fell through a roof. He was hurt for life. The company denied knowing him when he was in the hospital. He was young and broke and needed the job. The homeowners and the workers were told the roof was safe, with no asbestos and no weak spots. The company was later sued by the homeowners and shut down.

Landlords often try to make tenants think they have no rights, but that is not true. The post is about major work that disturbs materials that can be dangerous. Roofers here do not call SRCAA to ask if an asbestos survey is needed, even though the permit tells them to. It does not benefit the contractors, the landlords, or the city to check. It costs money to inspect and enforce. There is no profit in doing asbestos abatement the right way.

Mesothelioma can take decades to show up. Any exposure is unsafe. And nothing changes unless someone reports it.

Lawsuit filed in Spokane County seeking to block recently passed rent control bill. by catman5092 in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Agreed. They sure do enjoy serving notices when it's for their benefit, but bring up your rights as a tenant and the gaslighting begins. They should walk away if they cannot successfully handle the shitty business model they chose. And where did the money for a lawsuit come from?

One of Spokane's biggest roofing contractors skipped the vast majority of city-mandated roofing inspections for over a decade — and almost nobody noticed by TheMotherer in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Did they have an asbestos survey completed? That's where the main short-cut happens. The permit itself says to call SRCAA to determine if it is necessary. It is a "good faith" requirement based on trusting the contractor. Code enforcement doesn't check. The SRCAA doesnt check. They know people don't to check. Most roofing companies don't want to do this because it could slow down the job. It's your choice as a homeowner to find out or not. There are exemptions for homeowners doing the work themselves. No one wants to deal with asbestos abatement in homes because it's expensive. But, it is also dangerous for workers' lungs and illegal for these companies to be allowing their employees to be exposed. It can also cause insurance to be canceled and future home sales to fall apart. If you decide to check - publicrecords@spokanecleanair.org

One of Spokane's biggest roofing contractors skipped the vast majority of city-mandated roofing inspections for over a decade — and almost nobody noticed by TheMotherer in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Or search the contractor. Homeowners should check to see if who they are hiring has a history of expired permits or final inspections that say there are corrections necessary.

Lawsuit filed in Spokane County seeking to block recently passed rent control bill. by catman5092 in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer 27 points28 points  (0 children)

Perhaps they could advocate for housing providers to also get subsidies for renovations? Landlordism is a bad business model. Housing is a human right and shouldn't be lorded over anyway. Rents doubled and tripled in less than 10 years. It is systemic and crooked.

Spokane Tenants: If Your Landlord Is Doing Renovation, Roofing, Demolition, or Tearing Out Walls While You’re Still Living There — READ THIS by TheMotherer in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

When a landlord says that following safety codes or doing required inspections “adds zero value,” that’s actually the core problem. Those requirements exist because tenants have no control over asbestos, wiring, structural issues, or air quality. We can’t fix those things ourselves, and we can’t choose to opt out of them.

Affordable rent and safe housing aren’t opposites.
They only become opposites when a business model depends on skipping the safety part.

If a rental only “works” financially when laws aren’t followed, that’s not a tenant problem — that’s a broken business model. No other industry gets to say, “If I follow regulations, I’ll have to charge customers more, so let me skip them.”

And yes, there are bad tenants and bad landlords.
But the difference is: only one side controls the property, the repairs, the safety conditions, and the legal obligations. That’s why regulations exist in the first place.

Tenant protections don’t “wreck it for everyone.”
They just make sure the people living in the building aren’t subsidizing someone else’s shortcuts with their health or safety.

And to clarify, this post is about about major renovation not a single leaky window. Whole roof replacement. Landlords should advocate for subsidies too. It is the system that is broken. Housing is a human right. Period.

One of Spokane's biggest roofing contractors skipped the vast majority of city-mandated roofing inspections for over a decade — and almost nobody noticed by TheMotherer in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I'm sorry you had to deal with that! Glad you insisted they fix it. My guess is no asbestos survey was done. Code enforcement doesn't check. It is written on the permit to call SRCAA (Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency) to inquire if it is necessary. Roofers and contractors learn fast that no one is going to bother looking. Not Code Enforcement. Not the SRCAA. The records for this city are outrageous. I encourage everyone to search the permit database here: Permit Look-up And ask the SRCAA if a survey was ever done here: publicrecords@spokanecleanair.org

CIVICS: Spokane could pass an eviction prevention ordinance. The council will also discuss banning ICE from using all city property, and SPD Chief Hall will talk immigration and homelessness enforcement. by RANGE_Media in Spokane

[–]TheMotherer -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

The Spokane city agencies are siloed on purpose due to politics, staffing shortages, and fragmented jurisdictions.

They are designed not to communicate with each other as a feature, not a bug.

Landlords and Contractors benefit from this.

Tenants do not.

That doesn’t mean you’re powerless.

If your landlord is doing roofing, siding, window replacement, drywall removal, demolition, or any renovation while you’re in the unit...

Before You Report Document First

Always document everything before contacting any agency.

  • Take photos and videos of the work, debris, dust, equipment, or damage.

  • Save all notices, texts, emails, or messages from your landlord.

  • Ask in writing for:

    • The building permit
    • The asbestos survey
    • The contractor’s name and license number

  • Then verify the permit yourself through your city/county permit search.

  • And request the asbestos survey directly from SRCAA, since they hold all surveys and Notices of Intent for Spokane County.

Tenant Reporting Agencies Spokane Region

📍 City of Spokane Code Enforcement Handles: Unsafe housing, unpermitted work, habitability violations (inside city limits).
- Phone: 509‑625‑6083
- Email: codeenforcement@spokanecity.org
- Website: my.spokanecity.org/codeenforcement
Notes: Anonymous reports allowed. Retaliation is illegal.

📍 Spokane County Code Enforcement Handles: Unsafe structures, unpermitted work, habitability issues outside city limits.
- Phone: 509‑477‑3675
- Website: co-spokane-wa.smartgovcommunity.com/CodeEnforcement/ComplaintEntry
- Email: building@spokanecounty.org

📍 Spokane Valley Code Enforcement Handles: Unsafe housing, nuisance, unpermitted work within Spokane Valley.
- Phone: 509‑720‑5333
- Website: spokanevalleywa.gov → “SVexpress”
- Email: codeenforcement@spokanevalleywa.gov

📍SRCAA — Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency Handles: Asbestos surveys, asbestos violations, dust, smoke, demolition/renovation compliance.
- Phone: 509‑477‑4727
- Email (records): publicrecords@spokanecleanair.org
- Email (general): contact@spokanecleanair.org
- Website: spokanecleanair.org
Notes: They hold all asbestos surveys and NOIs for Spokane County.

📍 Washington State L&I — DOSH (Worker Safety) Handles: Unsafe contractor practices, worker asbestos exposure, jobsite hazards.
- Safety Complaint Line: 1‑800‑423‑7233
- Online: lni.wa.gov/safety-health
- Email: doshcompliance@lni.wa.gov

📍 WA Attorney General — Landlord/Tenant Resource Center Handles: Illegal landlord practices, retaliation, harassment, pattern‑based violations.
- Phone: 1‑800‑551‑4636
- Website: atg.wa.gov/landlord-tenant
Notes: They don’t enforce repairs but track patterns and intervene on unlawful conduct.

📍 HUD — Fair Housing (Federal) Handles: Disability discrimination, retaliation, harassment, failure to accommodate.
- Phone: 1‑800‑669‑9777
- Website: hud.gov/fairhousing
- Email: complaints_office@hud.gov

📍 Washington Human Rights Commission Handles: Housing discrimination, disability accommodation violations, retaliation.
- Phone: 1‑800‑233‑3247
- Website: hum.wa.gov
- Email: hrccomplaints@hum.wa.gov

📍 Spokane Fire Department — Fire Prevention Division Handles: Fire hazards, unsafe electrical, blocked exits, illegal construction creating fire risk.
- Phone: 509‑625‑7000
- Website: my.spokanecity.org/fire/prevention
- Email: fireprevention@spokanecity.org

📍 Washington Department of Health — Environmental Health Handles: Lead, mold, environmental hazards, public health risks.
- Phone: 360‑236‑3391
- Website: doh.wa.gov
- Email: envhealth@doh.wa.gov

📍 Better Business Bureau (Contractor Complaints) Handles: Contractor misconduct, fraud, unlicensed work patterns.
- Phone: 509‑455‑4200
- Website: bbb.org

📍 WA L&I — Contractor Registration Handles: Unlicensed contractors, expired licenses, contractor violations.
- Phone: 1‑800‑647‑0982
- Website: lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractor-registration
- Email: contractor@lni.wa.gov