Olympia’s Rental Housing Registry Falters—WA Multifamily Takeaways
Olympia’s Rental Housing Registry Falters
When Olympia launched its rental housing registry in March 2024, the goal was admirable:
- Ensure health and safety standards
- Preserve the city’s existing rental stock
- Improve transparency between landlords and tenants
But, nearly 18 months in, the program is facing a wave of tech glitches, compliance confusion, and higher-than-expected costs — challenges with broader implications for multifamily owners across Washington.
Where Things Stand
- Registered Units: As of July 2025, only 555 units are fully registered, representing ~28% of Olympia’s ~18,423 rental units.
- Annual Fees: $35 per unit, plus state and city business license fees.
- Inspections: One zone per year, with only 13 inspections completed so far.
Why the Struggle?
- Software Failures: The SmartGov licensing module is unintuitive, parcel-based, lacks auto-fill, and allows incomplete applications.
- Licensing Confusion: Owners must maintain both a Washington business license and a city endorsement — but many don’t realize it’s two separate processes.
- Rent Roll Uploads: The system requires a rent roll spreadsheet, which smaller landlords often can’t format or upload correctly.
- Renewal Misalignment: Olympia’s calendar-year renewal cycle doesn’t sync with the state’s rolling business license cycle.
- Cost Overruns: Low registration numbers and higher-than-expected staffing costs have put a strain on the city’s budget.
Planned Fixes
Olympia is considering:
- Switching to a more user-friendly permitting module
- Eliminating or simplifying the rent roll requirement
- Extending renewal periods
- Publishing average inspection costs for transparency
- Allowing affidavit-based inspections (self-certification)
Similar programs have been implemented in Seattle (2014), Tacoma (2018), Spokane (2021), Vancouver (approved in 2024), Kent (2018), Pasco, and Bellingham (2015).
The takeaway? Even well-intentioned programs can unintentionally burden owners and operators with unclear requirements and high compliance costs. Multifamily leaders need to track these developments and advocate for streamlined, cost-effective solutions.
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