Burien, WA Rental Inspections: Tenant Complaint Process (2026)

Burien's Rental Housing Inspection Program builds the tenant complaint route into the landlord's own paperwork. Under BMC 5.62.070(6)(d), when a property is selected for inspection, the owner or landlord must send written notice to every unit at the rental property. That notice must tell tenants that some units will be inspected in the current year, that tenants whose units need repairs or maintenance should send written notification to the landlord as provided in RCW 59.18.070 and 59.18.125(5), and that if the landlord fails to respond adequately the tenants can contact city of Burien officials. A copy of the notice goes to the inspector on request on the day of inspection.

BMC 5.62.090 keeps other inspection doors open. Inspections under RCW 59.18.150 or Chapter 1.15 BMC, inspections at the request or consent of a tenant, inspections under a warrant, and the tenant remedy in RCW 59.18.115 of the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act all stay available. BMC 5.62.120 adds that nothing in the chapter limits the city's ability to inspect properties and issue citations for property-related conditions that could amount to an immediate health or safety threat.

Entry rules protect tenants too. Under BMC 5.62.070(7)(a), the landlord must give written notification of intent to allow an inspector into an individual unit, stating the date and approximate time of the inspection, the company or person performing it, and that the tenant has the right to see the inspector's identification before entry. A tenant who continues to deny access is subject to the penalties in RCW 59.18.150(8). Before the city suspends a license or imposes penalties, BMC 5.62.110 requires an attempt to give the owner or landlord written notice by personal service or certified mail, with a specified time to correct. BMC 5.62.130 states that the chapter is not intended to create a private right of action.