Bothell, WA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)

Bothell Municipal Code § 20.04.140 adopts the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Housing Code, as published by the International Council of Building Officials. The adoption carries one change: references in the Uniform Housing Code to the uniform codes are replaced with the appropriate technical codes and sections as adopted by the City of Bothell. Those technical codes are the 2021 editions listed in the rest of Chapter 20.04, including the Uniform Plumbing Code in § 20.04.120 and the International Mechanical Code.

The Bothell Municipal Code text printed in this chapter adopts the housing code by reference and does not restate its individual standards. For the content of those standards, the adopted 1997 Uniform Housing Code itself controls, and § 20.04.145 requires the adopted codes, appendices and standards to be filed with the department of community development, building services division, with a copy available for public use and examination under RCW 35A.12.140.

A companion adoption sits next to it. Section 20.04.135 adopts the 1997 Edition of the Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, published by the International Council of Building Officials, with the same replacement of references to the uniform codes. Together these two sections are the city's adopted property-condition codes in Title 20.

Enforcement runs through the building official created by § 20.02.085, who under § 20.02.090 issues all necessary notices or orders to ensure compliance, and who has a right of entry at reasonable times when there is reasonable cause to believe a structure is unsafe, dangerous or hazardous. Credentials must be presented to an occupant and entry requested. If an unoccupied structure is involved, the building official must first make a reasonable effort to locate the owner. If entry is refused, the building official has recourse to the legal remedies available to secure entry.