PULLMAN, Wash. –
The structure – secondary to the main house located at 415 NE Maple Street – has been on the property since 1919, according to Pullman Fire Marshall Darren Jones. Fire Chief Mike Heston considers it a garage-turned-rental unit.
The rental unit is illegal, according to both Heston and Jones.
“The city has no record of this accessory structure ever having a certificate of occupancy,” Jones said. “We want know if people are living in any of these accessory structures that really were never designed to house somebody.”
Any housing unit must be registered with the city and pass a city inspection to verify compliance with all budling code, according to Pullman City Code 17.10.050: No building hereafter erected, moved, enlarged, or changed in use shall be occupied until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the Building Official.
However, DRA – the property management company – considered it a safe and secure residence.
The unit had running water, a plumbing, a kitchen, and electrical, according to DRA. Jones confirmed that is true; however, his investigation did not find any smoke alarms.
A second set of eyes did look at the unit annually, according to DRA. Spokane Housing Authority (SHA) subsidized rent at the unit for nearly 11 years, they said. As part of that process, SHA inspected the property themselves, according to DRA.
That inspection was not a legal justification to rent out the property and house people under city code.
The cause of death is still under investigation by Pullman Police. The cause of the fire remains undetermined too, according to Jones. Inside, the investigation found knee-high debris including discarded cigarettes, according to Heston. Another possible cause could be electrical issues due to extension cords running along the property, according to Jones.
NonStop Local reached out to SHA for confirmation the organization subsidized rent at this illegal rental property. At the time of publication, NonStop Local has not heard back.
The penalty for illegally housing at a property without proper city certification is $250 a day, according to Pullman City Code. It is unclear if Pullman Police will enforce this penalty and to what degree.
