Renton, WA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration deadline
- January 31st annually
- Who must register
- At least one landlord per unit
- Fee
- Set by City of Renton Fee Schedule
- Exempt units
- Owner-occupied room rentals, hotels, hospitals, govt-owned
- New owner liability
- Buyer inherits unresolved violations, RMC 4-5-125.G
- Enforcement chapters
- RMC Chapters 1-3 and 1-10
Summary
Renton requires at least one landlord of every rental dwelling unit to register annually with the City by January 31st, filing contact information, a compliance checklist, and paying any registration fee under RMC 4-5-125.D. Registration keeps a rental legal to operate and feeds the City's inspection and code-enforcement program.
1. Annual Registration, Declaration of Compliance, and Certificate of Inspection: On or before January 31st of each year, at least one landlord of a rental dwelling unit shall submit rental registration information by means and form directed by the Administrator, to include but not be limited to: a. The landlord's name and contact information; b. The name and contact information of any person designated by the landlord as an alternate contact or as a representative of the landlord; c. If desired by landlord, an email or mailing address or other method of contact as approved by the Renton Police Department for participation in the landlord notification program for notice of police activity on the property on which a rental dwelling unit is located; d. A residential rental checklist for each rental property that expressly identifies all of the landlord's rental dwelling units; and e. A certificate of inspection dated within thirty (30) days of registration if a separate certificate of inspection was previously required to be completed by subsection F of this Section within the preceding twelve (12) month registration period.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6197, passed August 10, 2026).
Full Breakdown
1 requires that 'on or before January 31st of each year, at least one landlord of a rental dwelling unit shall submit rental registration information by means and form directed by the Administrator,' covering the landlord's name and contact information, any alternate contact or representative, an optional contact for the Renton Police Department's landlord notification program, a residential rental checklist identifying every rental dwelling unit, and, if a certificate of inspection was previously ordered, a certificate dated within 30 days of registration. 3. B exempting a room rented within a landlord-occupied home, transient lodging like hotels, motels and short-term rentals that pay lodging tax, hospitals and licensed care facilities, government-owned units, and emergency or transitional shelters.
Violations & Fines
Failing to register, or registering but failing to comply with RCW 59.18.060 of the Landlord-Tenant Act, is a violation under RMC 4-5-125.E.1.a, enforced through RMC Chapters 1-3 and 1-10. When a property with unresolved violations changes hands, RMC 4-5-125.G makes the new landlord responsible for the ongoing violations and registration requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to register every rental unit I own in Renton?
Are short-term rentals like Airbnbs covered by Renton's rental registration program?
What if I buy a rental property that wasn't registered?
What happens if I miss the January 31st registration deadline?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Renton
Compare Renton to another location·View the Washington rental property rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle rental registration.