Starting January 2026, all long-term rental property owners will be required to register their units each year and pay a $30 per-unit fee
VANCOUVER – At Monday’s regular Council Meeting, City Council adopted the Rental Registration Program ordinance to improve the quality and safety of rental housing in Vancouver.
“The program offers wide-ranging benefits for the entire community. Tenants will gain safer, more habitable homes, with clearer channels for repairs and relocation assistance when needed. Landlords will have better access to educational resources and guidance, making compliance easier and more transparent,” said Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle. “This program reflects our commitment to tenant well-being and responsible rental property ownership.”
Starting January 2026, all long-term rental property owners will be required to register their units each year and pay a $30 per-unit fee. This fee will be waived for the first year for units registered within the first 90 days of the program launch. Rental registration will require submission of unit-level data, such as address, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, year built, and whether the unit is income-restricted. Inspections will begin in mid to late 2027 after the registration system is established and shaped with community input.
The ordinance also establishes a tenant relocation fund to help lower-income households move from uninhabitable units. Certain types of housing, such as short-term rentals, shelters, hospitals and owner-occupied units, are exempt from the requirements, and fee waivers are available for qualifying income-restricted properties.
The city will spend the next several months preparing for the new rental registration program. This work includes creating easy-to-follow instructions, setting up a simple online registration system, and reaching out to known landlords and property managers. The City will work with community members to design a fair and efficient inspection process. The city is rolling out the program in phases — first focusing on building a full list of rental properties and funding support for tenants, followed by regular inspections to ensure habitability standards.
Once launched, the program will provide more complete and accurate rental housing data, which will inform targeted housing policy, improve communication with property owners, and support fast assistance with public health or safety concerns.
Preserving quality rental housing through registration and inspections has been a community priority in Vancouver, identified in multiple housing plans since 2016. Development of this program began in early 2024 with a community stakeholder workgroup that included housing providers, property management companies, tenants, legal experts, rental housing associations and housing advocates.
Information provided by the city of Vancouver.
Also read:
- Republicans prepare for ‘train wreck’ as Democrats eye new taxes to fill $2B gap
Washington lawmakers face a $2 billion deficit as Republicans warn of tax proposals they say will worsen a mounting budget crisis. - Letter: A misleading headline about a misleading initiative
Battle Ground resident Gary Obermeyer argues that Initiative 26-126 would restrict voting access rather than improve election integrity. - POLL: Do you support Vancouver’s decision to restore open public comment at every council meeting starting in 2026?Vancouver will restore open public comment at every council meeting in 2026 after years of limiting remarks to agenda items.
- Opinion: Washington is bleeding taxpayers and now a State Representative wants to make it worseMark Harmsworth argues that a proposed statewide payroll tax would worsen Washington’s ongoing loss of jobs, businesses, and economic competitiveness.
- Theater students overcome challenges for the love of their art at River HomeLinkRiver HomeLink theater students overcome an atypical schedule and lack of a stage as they prepare Descendants: The Musical for performances at Prairie High School.
- Tix for Tots hosting original Nativity performanceA free Nativity performance and community event hosted by Tix for Tots will take place Dec. 20 in Battle Ground.
- Opinion: Simultaneous left turnsDoug Dahl explains how Washington law directs drivers to make simultaneous left turns by passing to the left of each other in an intersection.
Looks like landlords need to raise rents to cover the cost of the fee, time to do inspections and admin burden of this rediculous process. More government and regulation equals more cost that get passed on to the consumer