Tacoma, WA Rental Property Rules: Repairs & Habitability (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum indoor heat
- 70°F at 20°F outside
- Hot water minimum
- 120°F required
- Enforcing official
- Tacoma Building Official
- Substandard threshold
- 50+ violation points
Summary
Every Tacoma rental must maintain heat to 70°F when it's 20°F outside, plus working kitchens, plumbing, and electrical systems: inspectors score violations under the city's Minimum Building and Structures Code and can classify noncompliant units as substandard.
Heating equipment shall be provided to heat every dwelling and guest room, and shall have the capacity to heat all habitable rooms to 70 degrees Fahrenheit with an ambient outside temperature of 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Such equipment shall be in compliance with the Mechanical Code or the Building Code in effect at the time of installation. Solid-fuel-burning appliances or cooking appliances and portable heating devices shall not be used to provide the primary heat for the dwelling or guest rooms. A supply of air for complete combustion of the fuel and for ventilation of the space containing the fuel-burning equipment shall be provided for the fuel burning equipment. Elevators shall be maintained in compliance with the Building Code.
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Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4946110; v22 updated 2026-07-28).
Full Breakdown
Tacoma Municipal Code § 2.01.060.AA sets the baseline: heating equipment must be able to heat every dwelling and guest room's habitable rooms to 70 degrees Fahrenheit when it's 20 degrees outside, and portable heaters or cooking appliances can't serve as the primary heat source. The same section requires functioning kitchens, water heated to 120°F, code-compliant electrical outlets, and weathertight walls and roofs. The Building Official enforces these standards through the point-based violation system in § 2.01.050's Table A, 50 or more points classifies a rental a 'Substandard Building,' declared a nuisance under TMC Chapter 8.30.
Violations & Fines
Landlords who let heating, plumbing, kitchen, or electrical conditions lapse below these standards face a Notice of Violation, a negotiated repair schedule, and civil penalties starting at $250 and running up to $250 per day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my landlord have to provide heat in Tacoma?
What happens if a rental fails these standards?
Sources & Official References
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Repairs & Habitability in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle repairs & habitability.