Kent, WA Rental Inspections: Inspection Programs (2026)
Key Facts
- Inspection cycle
- Once every 3 years
- Certificate age limit
- Based on inspection within 90 days
- Small property sample
- Up to 4 units (20 or fewer total)
- Large property sample
- Up to 20%, max 50 units
- Exemption
- C of O within 4 yrs, no violations
- Inspector
- City-approved qualified RHI
Summary
Kent requires most licensed rental properties to be inspected once every three years by a city-approved private inspector and to obtain a certificate of inspection. KCC 10.02.070 sets the sampling method, exemptions and inspector qualifications.
A. All residential rental properties subject to the business license requirements of this chapter must be inspected once every three years by a qualified rental housing inspector and will require a certificate of inspection within a time period established by the director... D. A certificate of inspection shall be based upon a physical inspection by the qualified rental housing inspector of the residential housing units conducted not more than 90 days prior to the date of the certificate of inspection... 2. The city may only require a certificate of inspection on a rental property no more frequently than once every three years in accordance with RCW 59.18.125.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4542, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
070(A) requires residential rental properties subject to the business license requirement to be inspected once every three years by a qualified rental housing inspector (RHI), with the property selection process set by the director's methodology. 060. 125. Sampling scales with size: properties with 20 or fewer units can have up to 4 units selected for inspection; properties with 21 or more units can have up to 20 percent of units selected, rounded up, capped at 50 units, as long as the initial sample shows no health or safety hazards.
If a sampled unit fails, the city may require up to 100 percent of units to be inspected, and 100 percent inspection is also triggered if hazardous conditions were reported since the last inspection. Qualified RHIs must hold one of several listed credentials, including AACE or ICC property maintenance/housing inspector certification or a Washington state home inspector license, and be approved by the director. Landlords must give written notice to all units before an inspection, telling tenants they may contact city officials if the landlord fails to respond to repair requests.
Violations & Fines
Failure to obtain a required certificate of inspection is grounds to deny or revoke the rental's business license under KCC 10.02.060(A)(1). Once a certificate or declaration is required and not provided, KCC 10.02.080 makes it unlawful to rent or allow continued occupancy of the unit until a valid certificate or declaration is supplied to the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often are Kent rental properties inspected?
Can a Kent rental property avoid the inspection requirement?
What happens if a sampled unit fails inspection in Kent?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kent
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Inspection Programs in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle inspection programs.