Are you aware of theses minimum safety requirements in Seattle?

More than 25 years ago Seattle implemented minimum security requirements for locks and doors necessary for all rental properties. However, many landlords and tenants are not familiar with these requirements.

There are five security requirements for locks and doors to be aware of.

1) Locks must be changed between tenants.

2) There must be an installation of door viewers.

3) Deadbolts must be installed and operational on appropriate exterior doors.

4) There must be latching devices on windows.

5) Sliding patio doors require proper security devices.

Most of these seem like common sense. In our experience, many landlords allow these requirements to lag. The first requirement, changing locks between tenants, being the most commonly violated regulation. According to the law, locks are required to be changed on rental properties prior to the day which a new tenant takes up occupancy of the property. Also note, locks may be either replaced or rekeyed to satisfy the law.

These laws, and many others, are sometimes hard to keep up with. At ProperRent it's our business to keep up with these regulations and ensure rental properties are in compliance. Please reach out if you have questions or need guidance on staying current with rental regulations.