SDCI’s Pattern of Administrative Closures and Delayed Enforcement

Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) is responsible for enforcing the housing code. Yet despite this mandate, public records and tenant testimony show a recurring pattern: serious complaints are closed without inspection, marked as resolved based on landlord assurances, or delayed until the issue has escalated. At the Lowell Emerson Apartments, tenants filed complaints for lack of hot water, heating failures, flooding, and broken elevators. Many of these complaints were closed with outcomes like “No Violation Observed,” “Admin Closure,” or “Duplicate,” even when clear evidence of the issues was submitted. Some were closed without inspection, while others were delayed for months. In May 2023, a coordinated inspection by SDCI documented over 85 violations, including missing smoke alarms, non-functional fire doors, and severe water damage. A compliance deadline was set for August 9, 2023. However, by September 2024, tenants documented that the majority of those violations remained unaddressed — yet SDCI considered the case “resolved.” When asked for proof, the department could not produce a final inspection report. As of May 2025, no completion record has been released. Even more concerning: while those violations were still open, Metropolitan Management was allowed to self-certify 100% RRIO compliance in November 2023. When this was questioned in May 2024, SDCI finally scheduled the long-overdue 100% RRIO inspection for October 2024. But contradictory statements emerged: RRIO Program Manager Geoff Tallent stated the full inspection had been completed. Inspector Lisa Schwartzenberger, who oversaw the site, confirmed that not all units were inspected. To date, no explanation has been given for the discrepancy. No unit-level inspection logs have been released. And despite repeated tenant documentation of ongoing safety hazards, no enforcement action has followed. This is just one example of how the system is breaking down in plain sight. SDCI’s own public data shows tens of thousands of open or unresolved complaints citywide. At the same time, critical inspection data fields like “Last Inspection Date” are often blank or replaced with geographic coordinates, making it impossible to track whether enforcement actually occurred. Meanwhile, landlords with unresolved violations are still allowed to self-certify under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) — essentially declaring their properties compliant without any independent verification. This undermines both the intent and the integrity of the program. These are not isolated mistakes. They are part of a documented, systemic pattern that raises serious questions about oversight, enforcement capacity, and transparency in Seattle’s housing system.