S-1671.2

SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5384

BySenate Local Government (originally sponsored by Senators Zeiger, Palumbo, Short, Nguyen, Van De Wege, and Wilson, C.)

AN ACT Relating to the location of tiny house communities; and adding a new section to chapter 36.70A RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 36.70A RCW to read as follows:

(1) For the purposes of this section:

(a) "Tiny house" means a dwelling to be used as permanent housing with permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation built in accordance with the 2018 International Residential Code Appendix Q.

(b) "Tiny house communities" means real property rented or held out for lease or life estate to others for the placement of tiny houses or tiny houses with wheels utilizing the binding site plan process in RCW 58.17.035 for divisions of property for lease as provided for in RCW 58.17.040(5) which exempts such divisions from the requirements of chapter 58.17 RCW.

(c) "Tiny house with wheels" means a dwelling to be used as permanent housing with permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation that meets the certification requirements of the American national standards institute A119.2 standard for recreational vehicles, A119.5 standard for park trailers, or that is self-certified under RCW 43.22.355.

(2) A county required or choosing to plan under RCW 36.70A.040 may establish a process for reviewing proposals to authorize tiny house communities located outside of the initially designated urban growth areas or limited areas of more intense rural development when, upon review, a shortage of affordable housing within a reasonable distance from urban services has been identified utilizing data from the office of financial management indicating that housing costs within the urban growth area or limited area of more intense rural development exceeds fifty percent of the area median family income.

(3) The owner of the land upon which the community is built shall make reasonable accommodation for utility hookups for the provision of water, power, and sewerage services and comply with all other duties in chapter 59.20 RCW.

(4) Tiny house communities may be sited outside an urban growth area only if water, power, and sewerage services are provided through site-contained measures, which include but are not limited to self-generated power and composting toilets. Utility services may not be extended beyond urban growth area boundaries to tiny house communities.

(5) Tenants of tiny house communities shall be entitled to all rights and subject to all duties and penalties required under chapter 59.20 RCW.

(6) Tiny house communities under this section shall be exempt from any maximum density restrictions.

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