The city of Renton will soon allow for more housing for people hoping to split rent with roommates.

At its Nov. 17 meeting, the Renton City Council passed an ordinance to allow co-living in more zones of the city to comply with House Bill 1998, which became law in June 2024. The bill requires jurisdictions to allow co-living housing on any lot within an urban growth area where at least six multi-family units are allowed, including lots zoned for mixed-use development. It also establishes standards for unit size, parking, density and fees. Renton must amend the Renton Municipal Code to implement these requirements.

The state defines co-living housing as “a residential development with sleeping units that are independently rented and lockable and provide living and sleeping space, and residents share kitchen facilities with other sleeping units in the building.”

Renton Associate Planner Angelea Weihs said the city’s former code called this congregant living and only allowed it in three zones, including the Center Village zone and the Center Downtown Zone.

“Even in those zones, some of them are kind of conditional,” Weihs said. “The change we’re required to make, we have to allow it in all zones that allow multi-family of at least six units.”

The co-living housing would be allowed in more residential zones with eight dwelling units per acre or less on lots within a quarter mile from a major transit stop. The housing would also be allowed in residential and multifamily zones if the lot size and zoning would allow at least six dwelling units. The co-living housing will also be allowed in commercial zones, subject to mixed-use standards, commercial requirements, airport proximity restrictions, and other restrictions.

“What’s most important is if it isn’t required for other multifamily, that means it can’t be required for co-living,” Weihs said. “There are certain areas in the city, for example in the [Commercial Arterial] zone, we do not allow multifamily or attached dwellings in certain community planning areas, for example in the Valley Community Planning Area.”

The new state law also does not allow cities to impose requirements for co-living that are more restrictive than those imposed to other multi-family housing in the same zone. Also, cities may not impose mandates on room size, distribution of bedrooms, or habitable space beyond state building code.

“Co-living is a pretty niche for a product statewide. In some cities, maybe they will see more of it, for example Seattle or Bellevue, but in other cities it may not be very popular,” Weihs said. “What we’re trying to do is just comply with the state law, but it is too early to predict how often developers will choose this model in Renton.”

Landlords will not be required to have a business license at this time for leasing co-living housing, but permits are required for all new construction or conversion to co-living housing.

“We don’t know, at this time, if it is going to be popular or not. Maybe it will, but either way we want to provide that housing option in our toolbox,” Weihs said “If there is interest, we’ll make sure that we are prepared to comply with state law and remove the barriers that are mandated by that state law.”

Co-living projects are eligible for all city programs such as the Multi-Family Housing Property Tax Exemption, waived fees, and density bonuses.