Vacant Buildings

See also: Vacant Building Standards, Weeds & Vegetation Code

What Is It?

Vacant buildings in Seattle must be secured and maintained to prevent unauthorized entry and deterioration from the weather. Our Housing and Building Maintenance Code contains the City’s Vacant Building Maintenance standards.

We'll add vacant buildings to our Vacant Building Monitoring Program if:

• The vacant building property recieves a complaint.
• The vacant building property is in the development process.
• We receive a complaint from SPD or SFD.

We inspect these buildings on a monthly basis and charge owners fees ranging from $271.85 to $542.60 per month depending on the condition of the property. Properties must have no violations for three consecutive monthly inspections to be removed from the program. We encourage owners to explore ways to keep buildings occupied while waiting for their permits to be issued.

Citizens should continue to call SPD to report trespass or criminal activity. If a vacant building or property poses a danger to the public due to code violations, SDCI may either issue an Emergency Order and immediately cure the imminent dangers or seek an order allowing abatement. An abatement order is a court order granting us permission to enter onto the property and cure the violations on the owner’s behalf and expense Before entering a property or asking for a court order, we send a notice to the property owner and follow a legal process.

• Vacant Building Options
• Vacant Building Monitoring Program

What It Isn’t

This ordinance does not cover:

• unauthorized or criminal activity, squatters, or vagrants in vacant buildings - contact the Seattle Police Department at 206-625-5011 (non-emergency) or 911.
• rodent (e.g., rat) infestation - contact the Seattle-King County Health Department at 206-296-0100

Rules to Follow

Our ordinance requires that you:

• Keep your vacant building in good repair, secured from unauthorized entry, and protected from the weather.
• Keep the grounds free of junk, parked cars, and overgrown vegetation.
• Remove deteriorating or unsafe building parts, such as staircases that may pose a danger to firefighters or other city personnel.

• Tip 601, Unsafe and Vacant Buildings: SDCI's Inspection Program/SFD's Inspection Program
• Tip 605, City Regulations for Maintaining Vacant Buildings
• Tip 608, Regulations Affecting Buildings Unfit for Human Habitation or Other Use

Read the Code

Read the Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) sections on the vacant building standards SMC 22.206.200 and unfit building standards SMC 22.208.

Fines

Violations of the code may result in fines starting at $150 per day. Our vacant building monitoring fees range from $271.85 to $542.60 per month. If we have to board up or demolish a vacant building at the City’s expense, we will seek reimbursement and a tax lien may be placed on your property to recover those costs.