Roommates who want to live in boarding houses will have to act like a family unit if they want to live together, if a new ordinance passes.
Neighbors in the Spiritwood area started complaining about the boarding houses two years ago after one house designated as a single-family home was built with seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
"With this, it is a business. It's a business being a home in a single-family neighborhood," said Barbara Benson.
On Monday, the Bellevue City Council will vote on an ordinance saying only up to four unrelated people can live in a single-family house.
Those roommates would also be required to act as a "family unit," not only by sharing a lease but by proving they are sharing expenses for food, rent, utilities and other household expenses.
A homeowner could rent out up to two rooms to separate people, if the owner lives in the same house.
"I think it's not fair that they're not telling you how to live or who to share food with, who to share your house with," said Dariel De Los Santos, who lives in a boarding house.
Neighbor Chris Borland says it is important for the neighborhood to know what's going on inside these homes.
"If there was a drug lab there that would be behind closed doors, that wouldn't be allowed. If they had wild parties that would affect that neighborhood, that would be behind closed doors," Borland added. "There's arguments across the country of people who say I can do anything I want behind closed doors. That's not true. There are customs and there are policies."
Bellevue Planning Commission Chairman Aaron Laing says the city's goal was to crack down on developers trying to operate boarding houses in single-family neighborhoods.
"Neighbors were saying to the city if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and acts like a duck, you need to shut this down," said Laing.
He added that the city won't ask for proof that roommates are operating like "family units" unless there's a complaint.
"This issue only arises first and foremost if somebody brings a complaint about what's going on," said Laing.
We reached out to the owner of the properties but he refused to comment.
"It's not what happens behind closed doors. It's what's happening in the front yard, what's happening on the streets," said Laing.
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