Rental Property Rules in Lakewood, WA (2026)
3 verified rental property rules for Lakewood, Washington, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Rent control is PREEMPTED by Washington State law. RCW 35.21.830 prohibits cities and counties from enacting rent control ordinances. Lakewood may not impose rent control on private residential rental properties.
Lakewood Rent Control & Stabilization Rules
Few RestrictionsRCW 35.21.830
The imposition of controls on rent is of statewide significance and is preempted by the state. No city or town of any class may enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances or other provisions which regulate the amount of rent to be charged for single-family or multiple-unit residential rental structures or sites other than properties in public ownership, under public management, or properties provid...
Rental Registration
Every residential rental unit in Lakewood, Pierce County, must carry its own City-issued rental housing license, renewed annually on a calendar-year cycle. Owner-occupied units, hotels renting under 30 days, and government-owned housing are among the exemptions from this registration duty.
Lakewood WA Rental Housing License Requirement
Some RestrictionsLMC 5.60.020, 5.60.020(B)
Each residential housing unit in the City, as defined herein, shall obtain and maintain in good order a rental housing license issued by the City in accordance with the procedures of this title. ... ... B. Each license issued under the provisions of this chapter shall be valid for the current year of issuance (January 1st to December 31st) and shall expire on December 31st of said issuance year.
Repairs & Habitability
Lakewood, Pierce County, ties every rental license to a habitability check: owners must show a certificate that the unit has no substantial RCW 59.18.060 defect, such as unsafe structural elements, exposure to weather, hazardous wiring, or blocked fire exits, and renting a unit that fails to meet that certificate is unlawful.
Lakewood WA Rental Habitability Certification
Some RestrictionsLMC 5.60.010 "Certificate of inspection"; LMC 5.60.100
"Certificate of inspection" means an unsworn statement, declaration, verification, or certificate made in accordance with the requirements of RCW 9A.72.085 by a qualified inspector that states that the landlord has not failed to fulfill any substantial obligation imposed under RCW 59.18.060 that endangers or impairs the health or safety of a tenant, including (1) structural members that are of ...
Looking for Pierce County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Lakewood city rules.
Rental Property Rules in Pierce County →