Rental Registration Program

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Rental Registration Program

Contact Information

Rental Registration Program

1055 South Grady Way

Renton, WA 98057

425-430-7259

Email[email protected]

In order to ensure maintenance of quality rental housing within the city, landlords and property managers are required to annually register all long-term residential rental properties located in the City of Renton through the Rental Registration Program.

Under Renton Municipal Code, landlords are required to register all residential rental housing properties within the City of Renton.* See RMC 4.5.125 for more detail. A City of Renton business license is no longer required for the Rental Registration Program. You do not need to obtain a City of Renton Business License if you do not have any employees or conduct other business that requires a City of Renton Business License.

Rental Type	Registration	Business License
Room rentals in the owner's home	Not Required	Not Required
Owner-occupied properties with only 1 rental unit onsite (ADU, duplex)	Required	Not Required
Single Family Home	Required	Not Required
Condos - Renter Occupied	Required	Not Required
Apartment Complexes	Required	State License Required
Duplex, Tri-Plex, Four-Plex, etc.	Required	Not Required

*Exemptions: Exceptions for registration include room rentals in owner-occupied housing, commercial lodging, short-term rentals, state-licensed facilities, and housing owned by government groups or by housing authorities. See RMC 4.5.125(B) for applicability. Please complete the Rental Registration Program Exemption Request Form if you believe your property is exempt.

How to Register

Registration can be completed online, by email, or by mail and must be renewed annually on or before January 31. To register or renew, complete and submit the Rental Registration Form. For landlords of more than one rental property, submit one Renton Registration Form for each property.

ONLINE Visit rentonwa.gov/rentalform and fill out the Rental Registration Form

BY EMAIL Visit rentonwa.gov/rentalregistration to download the Rental
Registration Form and send via email to [email protected]

MAIL a copy to: Attn: Rental Registration Program City of Renton, 1055 S. Grady Way, Renton WA 98057

Inspections

This program enforces the WA State Landlord-Tenant Act and existing building and property standards of Renton (RMC 4.5125 & Chapter 59-18 RCW). This program imposes no additional standards on landlords, other than those already in place by the city and state code.

Failure to adhere to applicable codes, is a violation of the program and will require a resubmission of a Certificate of Inspection completed by a qualified inspector showing the rental property common space at issue has not failed to fulfill any obligation imposed under the WA State Landlord-Tenant Act.

A list of pre-approved and qualified inspectors can be found here.

Violations

Violations can be issued for failure to register, false reporting on the Rental Registration Form and/or failure to fulfill obligations under the Washington State Landlord-Tenant Act or existing building and property standards of Renton. Penalties follow existing city procedures outlined in Chapters 1-3 of the Renton Municipal Code.

Residential Tenant Billing Form

In addition to, property owners are required to fill out the Residential Tenant Billing Form to change over utilities to the tenants name.

Contact

For questions or concerns, please contact the Housing Programs Manager by email at [email protected] or call 425-430-7259.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to get a City of Renton Business License?

Landlords are not required to obtain a City of Renton Business License, but property management companies, short-term rentals and at-home businesses operating within the city’s limits are required to have a business license. If a property management company or other business is located outside the city limits, apply for and maintain an out of city business license. Information on business licensing is available online at rentonwa.gov/taxandlicense.

Do I need to get a third-party inspector?

Third-party inspections are not mandatory under the City of Renton’s program, except in cases where a Certificate of Inspection is requested due to likely violations. For regular registration and annual renewal, landlords may self-certify the compliance of their units. Landlords voluntarily may choose to provide an inspection report in lieu of a Declaration of Compliance Checklist.

What is the purpose of the Rental Registration Program?

The program protects the public health, safety, and welfare of tenants by encouraging rental housing within the city to be actively operated and maintained in compliance with RCW 59.18, the Residential LandlordTenant Act.

Do landlords in the City of Renton need to register their rental properties?

Yes, landlords are required to register in the city’s Rental Registration Program. Forms can be completed online for free at rentonwa.gov/rentalform.

What is the Renton Housing Authority?

Although housing authorities have a strong relationship with local, state, and federal governments, they are actually independent agencies. Charted under state law, a housing authority is an autonomous, not-for-profit public corporation. This organizational structure allows housing authorities to work in conjunction with local governments and agencies to develop long-term housing strategies for communities. Housing authorities are required to follow federal regulations. In addition, housing authorities receive a subsidy from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The Renton Housing Authority was established in 1941 and has operated continuously since to provide affordable housing to those in need within the city.

CITY OF RENTON WASHINGTON