Binghamton’s Code Enforcement process will be revamped thanks to a newly passed City Council ordinance.
At a May 6 business meeting, city council members unanimously voted to pass the Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program in a 5-0 vote, with members Carla Murray and Michael Dundon absent. According to Councilwoman Rebecca Rathmell, who has been an outspoken supporter of the change, the program will replace the city’s existing code enforcement response strategy, which she says has remained reactive for years.
The program reflects City Council’s housing agenda, following in the footsteps of legislation like the Good Cause Eviction Law, which was passed in March 2025 despite a mayoral veto.
City Council advances Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program with unanimous vote
The Proactive Rental Housing Inspection Program was first introduced in March 2025, with town hall meetings held to discuss the program throughout the year. As a large undertaking, the program will be rolled out in three phases, with phase one beginning on Jan. 1, 2027.
Starting in 2027, property owners operating rental housing in Binghamton will need to register their buildings and provide contact information, LLC names and units available at each property. As part of registration, property owners will need to pay $50 per unit each year, with that money used to fund the program.
According to Rathmell, once the program is fully in place, funding will also be used to help landlords in need rehabilitate properties that are not up to code. To ensure property owners register, landlords who file summary proceedings against tenants will need to prove they are registered and have paid their fee starting Jan. 31, 2027.
According to Councilwoman Kinya Middleton, the program will ultimately help renters by ensuring all rental properties are safe and fit to live in.
“With the housing stock being short, a lot of people just deal with their housing being a certain way because they can’t afford to go or they don’t have a place to go,” said Middleton. “It’s hard to come up with a security deposit and look for another place when you’re on a fixed income. This gives a relief to renters that are looking for that relief so that they can live in a healthy, stable home.”
Phase two will start Jan. 1, 2028, and will involve the deployment of administrative inspectors who will conduct partial exterior inspections on all registered properties. Inspectors will focus on roofs, foundations, porches, staircases and windows, referring buildings with significant structural and safety issues to the Code Department.
Using this strategy, inspectors will ensure that the buildings in the worst shape are the first to be scheduled for full code inspections. Property owners who don’t pay off all housing court costs within six months will also have all expenses levied directly to their tax bill.
The final phase of the project, which will become effective Jan. 31, 2030, will make it unlawful for any landlord within the City of Binghamton to collect rent from a tenant in properties without a valid Notice of Compliance. For any tenants in buildings without the notice, the city will establish an escrow account with a third-party financial institution that rent can be paid into.
Rent paid this way will either be issued to the landlord or returned to the tenant at a 90-day frequency depending on whether compliance has been obtained.
According to Rathmell, the program will not only protect renters from negligent and predatory landlords, but will also better inform the city on rental housing as a whole.
“This approach will significantly enhance our understanding of the rental landscape within the city, increase our capacity to identify patterns of noncompliance and address property issues before they become health hazards,” said Rathmell.
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: City Council passes program aimed to protect Binghamton renters
Reporting by Riccardo Monico, Binghamton Press & Sun Bulletin / Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin
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