Island County, WA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Occupancy types covered
- R-1 hotels, R-2 apartments, R-4 care homes, more
- Who inspects
- Island County Building Official or designee
- Exempt
- B&Bs with 3 or fewer guest rooms
- Fee basis
- Square footage of the inspected space
- Reinspection fee
- $50 per inspection beyond the second
- Penalty
- Class 1 or Class 4 civil infraction
Summary
Island County has no landlord registry, but its fire-inspection code requires an annual inspection and notice of occupancy before renting out buildings in occupancy groups R-1 (hotels, transient lodging) and R-2 (apartments), among other listed uses, under Island County Code Section 14.03A.030. No one may begin that occupancy without first passing the inspection.
A.Buildings or structures in occupancy groups A, B, E, F, H, I, LC as conditioned in the code, M, R-1, R-2 as conditioned in the code, R-4, S, child day care, adult homes, and family homes as defined by the International Fire Code, and future editions of the International Fire Code as may in the future be in effect in Island County, and buildings or structures in which home industries are conducted under the Island County Zoning Ordinance, chapter 17.03, shall be subject to an annual fire inspection by the Island County Building Official or his designee. ... B.No person shall begin or commence an occupancy or home industry subject to inspection under this chapter after the first day of August, 1987, without first having the fire inspection. If no occupancy inspection has occurred within five (5) working days of written application therefor, occupancy may commence and continue, subject to a subsequent satisfactory inspection.
Full Breakdown
03. The Island County Building Official or a designee conducts the inspection. B, no person may begin or continue an occupancy or home industry subject to this chapter, including renting out a covered building, without first obtaining the fire inspection; if no inspection has occurred within five working days of a written application, the applicant may begin occupancy subject to a later satisfactory inspection. A bed and breakfast with three or fewer guest rooms is exempt, and the Building Official may also exempt properties already inspected by the State Fire Marshal.
040 are based on the square footage of the space inspected and are not prorated for a mid-year inspection; a notice of violation triggers a follow-up inspection covered by the same fee, and each additional reinspection in the same calendar year costs an extra fifty dollars. The Building Official issues a receipt for the fee, which the responsible party must post where it can be seen and must produce on request, though the receipt does not excuse any code violation.
Violations & Fines
Renting out or opening a covered building without the required fire inspection, refusing entry for the inspection, or refusing to pay the fee is each a civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW: refusing entry or refusing to pay the fee is a Class 1 civil infraction, and failing to post or show the paid receipt is a Class 4 civil infraction, with every day of continued noncompliance charged as a separate infraction under Section 14.03A.070.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Island County require landlords to register rental units?
Are any rentals exempt from the Island County fire inspection?
How much does the Island County rental fire inspection cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Island County
Compare Island County to another location·View the Washington rental property rules overview
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