Management Resources
The Seattle Office of Housing offers resources and technical assistance on a variety of property and asset management topics.
Consent to Enter
Consent to Enter A Tenant's Housing Unit
Except in the case of an emergency or abandonment of a housing unit as defined by state law, it is unlawful in the City of Seattle to enter a tenant's housing unit without giving written notice and obtaining consent. The City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections (SDCI) now enforces the right of access to housing units in the City of Seattle as required by SMC 22.206.180(F)(1). Tenants must be notified at least 2 business days' prior to entry and the notice must state what time and date the entry will occur, and give a contact name and phone number for tenants to communicate any objections to the entry or to reschedule the inspection.
As recipients of public funding, affordable housing properties are subject to physical inspections and as part of this process your agency will have to ensure that proper notice is given and consent is obtained prior to an inspection. Upon notification from the Office of Housing that a property will be subject to a physical inspection, it is recommended that property management staff promptly begin the process of delivering notice to residents of the scheduled physical inspection and obtaining consent. Typically, you will receive notification from the Office of Housing of a planned inspection at least four (4) weeks in advance of the actual inspection. At the time of the physical inspection, staff from the Office of Housing will rely on your staff's representation that the tenant household has consented to the inspection and will enter the unit. The Seattle Office of Housing and SDCI have created two resident notifications that comply with the provisions of SMC 22.206.180(F). If you have any questions regarding SMC 22.206.180(F)(1) please contact SDCI Code Compliance Section at (206) 615-0808. If you have any questions regarding the Seattle Office of Housing inspection process, please contact Dan Foley, Portfolio Manager - Seattle Office of Housing, at (206) 684-0585.
The Housing Preservation Guide is a "road map" for assessing the needs of individual affordable housing properties and entire portfolios, as well as developing workable plans for preserving that housing. Hard copies of the Housing Preservation Guide come with a CD with sample documents that are not included within the PDF available above. Download the sample documents individually below:
In the City of Seattle it is illegal to discriminate in the rental of housing due to Race, Color, Ancestry, Sex, Disability, Creed, Religion, Age, Retaliation, National origin, Marital status, Political ideology, Parental status, Sexual orientation, Gender identity, Use of a service animal, Use of a Section 8, Certificate, Military status, or veteran status. The City of Seattle and US Department of Housing and Urban Development require fair housing posters be displayed in building lobbies, community rooms or leasing offices - wherever tenants and applicants can best see them. More information about fair housing laws, including resources for property managers, is available on the Seattle Office for Civil Rights website.
Renting in Seattle for Housing Providers gives complete information of current and changing landlord tenant laws, including tenant protections unique to the City of Seattle such as Fair Chance Housing and Source of Income Protections.
Homelessness Waiver Approval Form
Please complete this form to document reasonable accommodation and housing safety/stability transfers occurring within your agency's own housing portfolio of units restricted for homeless households by the City of Seattle Office of Housing (OH), King County Housing Finance Program (KC), and/or the Washington State Department of Commerce (COM). Refer to the King County Regional Homeless Authority’s Coordinated Entry page for units restricted for homeless households participating in CEA that are owned/operated by another agency. Housing providers are responsible to ensure compliance with record retention and WBARS reporting requirements. See instructions on the Homelessness Waiver Approval Form for details.
Owners seeking approval of a transfer of ownership must notify the Office of Housing. Please contact Chris Jowell, Portfolio Manager, at (206) 615-0999 to receive an application and learn about the transfer of ownership process. Forms referenced in the Transfer of Ownership Application are available in the Combined Funders' Project Budgets and Forms on the Multifamily Rental Housing Funding Announcement and Application page.
Once completed, Transfer of Ownership Applications can be mailed to the address below, or submitted in-person at 700 Fifth Avenue, Floor 57.
Seattle Office of Housing
Attn: Chris Jowell, Portfolio Manager
Asset Management Unit
PO Box 94725
Seattle, WA 98124-4725
Applicants seeking to assume ownership and request additional funding will be required to submit more detailed information and will generally be required to submit funding requests as part of the regular Office of Housing Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) schedule.
Applicants interested in applying through the NOFA must contact Laurie Olson, Lending Manager, at (206) 615-0995 or Chis Jowell at (206) 615-0999 to schedule a pre-application meeting before the Office of Housing will accept an application.
Landlords are eligible for energy efficiency grants covering up to 90% of costs.These improvements reduce maintenance requirements, cover capital improvement costs, lower tenant turnover, and shrink utility expenses.
Typical improvements include:
- Boilers, furnaces, water heaters, heat pumps and air conditioners
- Insulation of all types (roof, attic, wall, floor, ducts and pipes)
- Sealing Drafts (a.k.a. air sealing)
- LED Lighting
- Windows and Doors
- Refrigerators
- Exhaust fans, make-up air units (MAUs), energy recovery ventilation
- Building Controls
- Additional weatherization measures as determined by energy conservation benefit
To learn more please visit our Multifamily Weatherization Page.
The City encourages the utilization of women- and minority-owned businesses (WMBEs) for the construction and other contracted services. Visit the State WMBE directory and the City of Seattle vendor directory to search for WMBE contractors. During construction, project sponsors must submit monthly WMBE reports providing data on the contractors and consultants working on the project:
- Apartment Fire Safety - Seattle Fire Department website
- Apartment Manager's Fire Safety Guide - Seattle Fire Department website
- Electric Basebard Heater Fire Prevention Poster
- Carbon Monoxide Information - WA State Department of Health website
- State of WA fact sheet on CO Alarms