New Ordinance Impacts Seattle Residential Rental Property Owners

While you probably know about the “just cause” eviction restrictions in Seattle, you may not know about a new Seattle Ordinance pertaining to rental property. If you own a residential rental property in Seattle, then you’ll want to pay attention to the new Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (“RRIO”) .

RRIO requires landlords to register all rental housing units located in Seattle with the City of Seattle. The purpose of RRIO is to help ensure that all rental housing in Seattle is safe and meets basic housing maintenance requirements.

Owners must register all residential rental properties, from single family houses to large apartment complexes. There are certain exceptions to the registration requirement such as commercial lodging, state-licensed facilities such as adult family homes, and housing owned by government groups or housing authorities.

Owners must register their property according to the following schedule:

  •  All properties with 10 or more rental housing units – By September 30, 2014
  •  All properties with 5 to 9 rental housing units – By March 31, 2015
  •  All properties with 1 to 4 rental housing units – Due date determined by zip code

You can register online, in-person, or by mail, and you must renew your registration every 5 years. The registration fee is $175 for the first unit and $2 for each additional unit. Penalty fees apply to late registration or failure to register.

In addition, RRIO requires all registered rental properties to be inspected at least once every 10 years, starting in 2015. Owners may choose to use a private qualified rental housing inspector or hire a City inspector. Once a rental property has passed inspection, the inspector will issue a Certificate of Compliance to the owner who is then responsible for submitting the certificate to the RRIO program.

If you need any assistance with registration, or any of your needs for your properties, please contact a Beresford Booth lawyer today.

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