CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE related to conforming City code to match provisions of state law for rental housing inspections; and amending Seattle Municipal Code Section 22.214.050.
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WHEREAS, maintaining minimum standards in rental housing units is a City priority; and
WHEREAS, rental property inspections under the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance can be conducted by either City or private qualified rental housing inspectors; and
WHEREAS, RCW 59.18.125 sets out a framework for rental registration programs; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 22.214.050 of the Seattle Municipal Code, last amended by Ordinance 125705, is amended as follows:
22.214.050 Inspection and certificate of compliance required
A. The Department shall periodically select, from registered properties containing rental housing units, the properties that shall be inspected by a qualified rental housing inspector for certification of compliance. The property selection process shall be based on a random methodology adopted by rule, and shall include at least ten percent of all registered rental properties per year. Newly constructed or substantially altered properties that receive final inspections or a first certificate of occupancy and register after January 1, 2014, shall be included in the random property selection process after the date the property registration is required to be renewed for the first time. After a property is selected for inspection, the Department shall provide at least 60 days' advance written notice to the owner or owner's agent to notify them that an inspection of the property is required. If a rental property owner chooses to hire a private qualified rental housing inspector, and also chooses not to inspect 100 percent of the rental housing units, the property owner or owner's agent shall notify the Department a minimum of five...
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