RRIO & Housing Code Updates

• What & Why
• Project Documents

What's Happening Now?

We proposed amendments to the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) (Seattle Municipal Code 22.214) to improve our RRIO program’s ability to identify and address safety and maintenance problems in rental housing. Our amendments are the result of a stakeholder process we convened this spring in response to a 2016 City Council requirement to review RRIO. Our legislation also includes changes to the Housing and Building Maintenance Code (HBMC) to support the RRIO changes, update certain technical standards, and clean up confusing sections of the code. We are now developing policies and procedures to implement the changes to RRIO and the HBMC. We are also developing communication and outreach materials for property owners and renters.

For more information about our housing code and rental housing inspection program, see our Housing & Building Maintenance Code page and our Rental Registration & Inspection Code page.

Project Goals

Our recommendations included the following:

1. Add requirements relating to lead paint, carbon monoxide alarms, smoke detectors in sleeping rooms, and other safety enhancements to the minimum housing standards and the RRIO inspection checklist.
2. Update outdated references and formatting in the Housing and Building Maintenance Code.
3. Require private RRIO inspectors to submit inspection results, rather than simply certify that a property has passed inspection, so that private inspections and City inspections are subject to the same standards.
4. Increase the percentage of units per building to be inspected from 15 percent to 20 percent, similar to the inspection requirements in state law.

The End Result

The Mayor signed the legislation on July 14, 2017, making it effective August 14, 2017.