As part of the Department of Finance and Administrative Services, we provide centralized real estate services to City decision-makers and departments, as well as the general public. This includes buying, selling or transferring property (formally known as, respectively, "acquisition," "disposition" and "reuse") and maintaining listings and maps of City-owned properties.
What do you want to do?
Visit the City Property Finder and Resources page for links to online resources to help you determine which City department has jurisdiction over a specific piece of property.
The City of Seattle owns property used for various municipal purposes such as fire stations, police stations, office buildings, parks, libraries and streets. Requests to use City property should be directed to the managing department. Departments managing their own property include Department of Parks and Recreation, Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Public Library, Office of Housing and Department of Neighborhoods. The Department of Finance and Administrative Services (FAS) manages general government facilities as well as real property for other City departments, including the Seattle Department of Transportation.
FAS manages City-owned general-use property, including fire and police stations, maintenance shops, City Hall, the Justice Center and various vacant properties. The following are the types of agreements that authorize the use City-owned property.
Revocable use permit (RUP)
A RUP is a general permit that will allow a nonexclusive and temporary use or access to City-owned property for a limited time period. The variety of activities in a RUP could include parking, tree trimming or vegetation management. A RUP can also be used to allow a use on a temporary basis while a more permanent agreement such as a long-term lease or other legislative action is approved.
Limited access license (LAL)
A limited access permit allows a nonexclusive access for a short time period for a specific purpose. A LAL is generally used for environmental testing, surveying or other temporary access purposes.
Leases
The City may lease space in City-owned property that is not currently used by the City. Leases are granted through ordinances passed by City Council, although the FAS director has the authority to negotiate and execute some leases with terms under five years.
Property held by the City of Seattle serves the municipal needs of City departments. In specific instances, property that is no longer needed for a municipal purpose may be approved by City Council for surplus and sale by FAS or another City department. FAS Real Estate Services maintains a list of surplus properties throughout the City.
To find a listing of surplus properties and City contacts, see the surplus properties tool.