In October 2012, the Seattle City Council passed the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) to help ensure that all rental housing in Seattle is safe and meets basic housing maintenance requirements. All rental properties in Seattle are required to be registered with the City starting in 2014 and will be inspected at least once every 10 years.
DPD is starting to publish the Director’s Rules that describe many of the details of the RRIO program. The rule regarding the RRIO Weighted Checklist is available for review and public comment until 5:00 p.m. on November 21, 2013.
The RRIO Weighted Checklist describes the housing maintenance standards that all occupied rental housing units must meet in order to register with the RRIO program or pass a RRIO inspection. The purpose of this rule is to adopt the RRIO Weighted Checklist as directed by the City Council in Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) section 22.214.050.L. Each section of the weighted checklist contains specific maintenance items from the Housing and Building Maintenance Code identified in SMC 22.214.050.M.
Property owners will use the checklist to confirm that their rental properties and units currently meet the standards listed when they register or will meet the standards listed prior to being rented. Inspectors will use the checklist to validate that rental properties have been maintained according to the minimum standards listed.
This rule specifies:
- The methodology for using the weighted checklist
- Definitions of key terms used in the weighted checklist
- The weighted checklist standards
If you want to provide feedback on the RRIO Weighted Checklist, review the new Director’s Rule and submit your comments in writing before November 21.
For more information about RRIO, please visit http://www.seattle.gov/RRIO.