Tacoma's rental inspection system would shift from complaint-driven to proactive under a resolution Council Member Latasha Palmer introduced.
The June 16 proposal listed as agenda item 26-0506 at the City Council Study Session, asks the council to explore a registration-based inspection model and stronger penalties under the city's Provisional Rental Property License. Palmer also called for expanded education for both tenants and landlords about their rights.
"Proactive inspections, rather than our current complaint-based inspection process, can be one of the best mechanisms for mitigating and preventing unsafe living conditions for tenants," Palmer said in a statement announcing the resolution.
The Community Vitality and Safety Committee is scheduled to hold a "Rental Housing Code and Landlord Fairness Code Initiative - Compliance and Enforcement Overview" briefing on Thursday, June 25.
That briefing covers compliance and enforcement under the city's rental codes, the same territory Palmer's resolution addresses.
Under the current system, the city inspects rental units only when a tenant files a complaint. Palmer's resolution points to Seattle, Olympia, and Spokane as examples of cities where landlord registration fees fund routine inspections.
Palmer also proposed making rental code compliance data publicly available so prospective tenants can check a property's history before signing a lease.
She expressed support for tenants' right to organize without retaliation, a right already protected under Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.
No cost estimate or fee structure for a proactive inspection program has been released.
On the same day Palmer introduced her resolution, Tacoma For All submitted more than 8,700 signatures to the city clerk for the SAFE Homes For All ballot measure, well above the approximately 5,000 required.
That citizen-driven initiative would require the city to investigate landlord violations and impose penalties ranging from $500 to five times a tenant's monthly rent.
Tyron Moore, executive director of Tacoma For All, cited "illegal rent hikes, illegal fees, and particularly bad illegal living conditions" including mold making children sick as reasons tenants signed on.
The Pierce County Auditor's office must verify the SAFE Homes signatures. If the council does not adopt the measure, it would go before voters under the city's initiative process. Organizers expect it on the November 2026 ballot.
About 44% of Tacoma's housing units are renter-occupied, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. The city updated its Rental Housing Code and Landlord Fairness Code through Ordinance 29086 in December 2025, but Tacoma For All argues the current framework forces tenants to take landlords to court rather than allowing administrative enforcement.
Residents can contact Tacoma's Landlord-Tenant Program at 311, (253) 591-5000, or [email protected].
The Community Vitality and Safety Committee's next scheduled meeting after June 25 is Thursday, July 9.
