Renton, WA Animal Ordinances: Beekeeping (2026)

M1, generally permits up to three hives, with one additional hive allowed for every extra 10,000 gross square feet of lot size beyond the base minimum, and bee-keeping can be combined cumulatively with other animal-keeping allowances on the same property. The baseline minimum lot size is 7,500 gross square feet under M2a, but that drops to 4,500 gross square feet under M2b if either of two conditions is met: the hives sit at least eight feet above or below the grade of neighboring properties, or they're screened behind a solid fence or hedge at least six feet tall running parallel to the property line within 25 feet of the hive.

Placement rules in M3 require hives in rear yards, side yards, or on rooftops, always at least 25 feet from an interior lot line, with each hive's entrance oriented away from the nearest property line. Each hive may only house one swarm, and beekeepers must actively manage hives, such as by requeening regularly, to prevent overpopulation and swarming from becoming a nuisance. Like all animal keeping in RMC 4-4-010, bees are subject to the general nuisance and disturbance prohibition in subsection D, tying back to RMC 1-3-3 (Nuisances) and RMC 8-7-3 (Public Disturbance, Noises), so a colony that becomes a genuine hazard or nuisance can still draw code enforcement even if the hive count and setbacks are technically met.