Seattle, WA Rental Property Rules: Rental Registration (2026)
Key Facts
- Registration validity
- two years from issue date
- Renewal
- required before current registration expires
- Tenant delivery deadline
- 30 days after registration issued
- New owner update
- 60 days after sale closes
- Penalty for noncompliance
- $150/day (first 10 days), then $500/day
Summary
Seattle requires every property with rental housing units to hold a current rental housing registration issued by the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections before renting to anyone, with each registration valid for two years and renewal required before it expires.
A.With the exception of rental housing units identified in subsection 22.214.030.A, all properties containing rental housing units shall be registered with the Department according to the registration deadlines in this subsection 22.214.040.A. After the applicable registration deadline, no one shall rent, subrent, lease, sublease, let, or sublet to any person or entity a rental housing unit without first obtaining and holding a current rental housing registration for the property where the rental housing unit is located. The registration shall identify all rental housing units on the property and shall be the only registration required for the rental housing units on the property.C.A rental housing registration shall be valid for two years from the date the Department issues the registration.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
A such as owner-occupied primary-residence short-term rentals and licensed care facilities, to be registered with the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections. After the applicable registration deadline for that property's unit count, no one may rent, sublet, lease, or let a rental housing unit without first obtaining and holding a current registration for the property. The registration covers the whole property: it lists every rental unit on it and is the only registration those units need, though for condominiums and cooperatives only the individual rented unit and its shared common areas are registered, not the entire building.
214's minimum standards before it is rented. Within 30 days of the Department issuing the registration, the owner or agent must deliver a copy to tenants or post it where all tenants can see it, and must give every new tenant a copy at or before move-in. When a registered property is sold, the new owner has 60 days to update the registration information, and any change to the required application information during the registration term must be reported to the Department within 60 days.
Violations & Fines
Renting an unregistered unit after the applicable deadline is itself unlawful under SMC 22.214.040.A, and Chapter 22.214 backs registration with cumulative civil penalties under SMC 22.214.086 of $150 per day for the first ten days a violation continues and $500 per day after that; owners also cannot issue a notice to terminate tenancy to evict a residential tenant from a unit that isn't registered, per SMC 22.214.075.A.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which rental units are exempt from Seattle's registration requirement?
How long does a Seattle rental registration last?
What must the registration application include?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
Compare Seattle to another location·View the Washington rental property rules overview
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Rental Registration in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle rental registration.