Auburn, WA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum heat
- 68°F in habitable rooms, bathrooms, toilets
- Reduced minimum
- 65°F when avg. monthly temp exceeds 30°F
- Unfit-structure order
- Demolish, repair, or board per IPMC 113.1
- Boarding limit
- 30 days (up to 1 year if non-opaque)
- Appeal deadline
- 20 calendar days to hearing examiner
Summary
Auburn's amended International Property Maintenance Code requires landlords who rent, lease or let dwelling units to supply heat year-round, keeping habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms at a minimum 68°F under ACC 15.20.090, and lets the code official order unfit structures repaired, boarded or demolished under ACC 15.20.050.
602.3 Heat Supply. Every owner and operator of any building who rents, leases or lets one or more dwelling units or sleeping units on terms, either expressed or implied, to furnish heat to the occupants thereof shall supply heat during year-round to maintain a minimum temperature of 68°F (20°C) in all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms. Exceptions: a. When the outdoor temperature is below the winter outdoor design temperature for the locality, maintenance of the minimum room temperature shall not be required provided that the heating system is operating at its full design capacity... b. In areas where the average monthly temperature is above 30°F (-1°C), a minimum temperature of 65°F (18°C) shall be maintained.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 7023, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
3 so that 'every owner and operator of any building who rents, leases or lets one or more dwelling units or sleeping units on terms, either expressed or implied, to furnish heat to the occupants thereof' must supply heat year-round to maintain a minimum 68°F in all habitable rooms, bathrooms and toilet rooms. Two exceptions apply: when the outdoor temperature falls below the local winter design temperature (per International Plumbing Code Appendix D) and the heating system is running at full capacity, the minimum need not be met; and where the average monthly temperature is above 30°F, only 65°F must be maintained.
4. 1 so that when the code official finds a structure so deteriorated, dilapidated or out of repair that it is 'unsafe, insanitary or otherwise unfit for human habitation,' and repair is unreasonable, the official can order the owner to demolish and remove it, or, if it can be made safe, to repair it, board it up, or demolish it at the owner's option. Boarded structures may not stay boarded more than 30 days, or up to one year if non-opaque, code-compliant boarding is used, unless the code official grants a timeframe extension. 130 within 20 days, and enforcement is handled by the department of community development.
Violations & Fines
Failing to supply the required minimum heat to a rented dwelling unit, or ignoring a code official's order to repair, board or demolish an unfit structure, is enforced through the notice-and-order process in ACC Chapter 1.25. Noncompliance with a correction order can lead to misdemeanor prosecution and civil penalties in Auburn's court of limited jurisdiction, and the city may abate the hazard itself and bill the owner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What minimum temperature must an Auburn landlord provide?
What happens if a rental in Auburn is declared unfit for habitation?
Can I appeal a habitability order from Auburn's code official?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Auburn
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle repairs & habitability.