City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

Home
Title 10
Chapter 10.57
Section 10.57.020
 

Title 10 Regulation of Activities

Division II. License Code

Chapter 10.57 Regulation of Residential Rental Housing

Section 10.57.020 Business Licensing and Registration
  1. Pursuant to Chapter 08.01 SMC, owning, renting, or leasing real property located in the City of Spokane constitutes engaging in business in the City and requires an annual business license and registration. No person shall make available for rent, or rent, lease, or let, to the public any residential housing unit without registering and maintaining registration of the residential rental property at which the unit is located pursuant to subsection (C) of this section.
  1. The annual fee for registering the business activity of renting residential real property shall be the standard annual fee described in SMC 08.02.0206(A) plus an additional $15 per residential rental unit per year. Units exempt from the annual $15 fee are:
    1. units in a federally funded property owned or operated by a public housing authority under chapter RCW 35.82.
    1. units in a property that is funded through a housing assistance program under RCW 43.185.
    1. affordable housing units in a property that is funded through the City’s housing programs under SMC Title 08.  
    1. units in a property occupied by a tenant utilizing a Housing Choice Voucher or Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Voucher.
  1. Application for a residential rental registration shall be made to the City through a web portal established by the City of Spokane IT Department.  The application shall include the applicable registration fee set forth in SMC 08.02.0206(A) and paragraph (B) of this section, including late fees if applicable, a declaration of compliance as described in subsection (G) of this section and a complete list of individual residential rental units under the applicant’s ownership or control, including the street address of each unit, identification of whether the unit is offered at market rate or below market rate rent, whether the unit is occupied or unoccupied at the time of registration, and such other information as required in order to carry out the intent of this chapter.
  1. A property management company may apply for and secure the required business registration on behalf of a residential rental property owner.
  1. A residential rental registration expires on December 31st of the calendar year following registration or renewal.
  1. The residential rental registration is transferable to any person who has acquired ownership of a registered rental property for the unexpired portion of the one-year term for which it was issued. 
  1. As a condition to the issuance and/or renewal of a residential rental registration, an applicant shall provide a valid declaration of compliance addressing each rental unit in the rental property prior to the issuance of a residential rental business registration.  A declaration of compliance submitted under this chapter must state that each unit complies with the requirements and standards in RCW 59.18.060.
  1. Property owners or their property managers shall provide each tenant a digital link to the website established pursuant to SMC 10.57.030(B) and if the tenant doesn’t have access to the internet advise them to call 311 for more information on tenant rights and responsibilities.
  1. A person may not increase the periodic or monthly housing costs charged to a tenant if the person does not have an annual City of Spokane business license or has not complied with the requirement of registering each residential housing unit with the City of Spokane and certification that each residential housing unit complies with the requirements and standards of RCW 59.18.060.
  1. A person may not evict a tenant if the person does not have an annual City of Spokane business license or has not complied with the requirement of registering each residential rental property unit with the City of Spokane and certification that each residential rental property unit complies with the requirements and standards of RCW 59.18.060. A person complies with this section if he or she has obtained an annual business license, and the residential rental property unit is registered with the City of Spokane before entry of a court order authorizing eviction or before a writ of restitution is granted. A court may grant a continuance in an eviction action in order to give a person time to license the rental housing unit and to obtain an annual City of Spokane business license.

Date Passed: Monday, October 14, 2024

Effective Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024

ORD C36576 Section 1