Guides for owners · Seattle, Bellevue and the Eastside
You own one house. Here is how to decide what to do with it.
In short
Written for the owner of one house in Seattle or on the Eastside, not a portfolio. Three decisions, in order: rent it or sell it (the capital-gains clock runs three years from move-out); self-manage or hire (a $600 leasing fee plus 7% of rent at RexMont, or 75% of one month's rent for leasing only); and the price, read from live lease comps rather than an automated estimate. The rules sit under all three, cited by section.
Updated · Adriano Tori, Designated Broker
Page author
Adriano Tori
Founder & Designated Broker — RexMont Real Estate · WA Lic. #27660
Adriano Tori leads RexMont Real Estate, the Bellevue brokerage that manages single-family rentals across Seattle and the Eastside and lists the same homes when the owner is ready to sell. The guides on this page are his and Property Manager Grisel Castro's, written for the owner of one house.
1 · Decide
Rent it out or sell it? Then: self-manage or hire?
The first question has a deadline: the federal capital-gains exclusion lasts three years after you move out. The second is arithmetic once the rent is known: the fee against the hours, the vacant weeks and the legal exposure of running the tenancy yourself. These guides put the numbers and the clock in front of you; the third decision, the price, is section 4 below.
Rent it or sell it: the capital-gains clock →
The 2-of-5-year test, the 3-year sell-by window after you move out, depreciation recapture and the Washington exemption, with a Bellevue example.
Relocating and keeping the house →
The accidental landlord's 60-day plan from offer to move, the remote-owner checklist, the tax clock and the rent.
Is a property manager worth it for one house in Seattle? →
The honest math: fee, vacancy cost per week, the cost of one bad placement, hours per month, when to self-manage.
Is a property manager worth it for one house in Bellevue? →
The same arithmetic at Bellevue rents and Bellevue rules.
Self-managing vs a property manager on the Eastside →
The side-by-side for Bellevue, Kirkland and Redmond: time, cost, risk, net income.
How to rent out your house in Seattle →
RRIO, the business licence, pricing, first-in-time screening, deposits and the lease, step by step.
Rent out my condo in Seattle →
The HOA rental-cap and waitlist check, RRIO for one unit, the building's move-in rules and what condos rent for in Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland.
2 · Cost
What it costs
Published, not quoted after the form: a $600 leasing fee plus 7% of rent collected ($200 monthly minimum, waived when the home is vacant); 75% of one month's rent for leasing only; no vacancy fee; six written guarantees.
3 · Rules
The rules, by city and by section
Washington caps annual increases at 9.683% for 2026 with 90 days' notice, ends tenancies only for cause, and sets the deposit procedure; Seattle, Kirkland and Redmond add their own notice days and move-in caps. Each page below cites the RCW or city code section and the date it was read.
4 · The price, by city
What your house rents for
The RexMont rent read is built from the active and recently leased homes near yours with the same bedroom count, not from an automated estimate, and it comes back with the comps attached. Ask for it below or on your city's page; the monthly rental-market reports show what is leasing and how fast, and each city's owner guide, law page and cost page are one click from here.
Issaquah and Sammamish owners use the Seattle cost page for the fee table; the services and guarantees are the same in every city. Bothell has its property management page; the owner guide, law page and report for Bothell follow.
RexMont Rent Read
What would your house rent for? Get the RexMont Rent Read.
Request your Rent Read and see your home’s rent range from RexMont’s NWMLS rental data. Grisel Castro, our Property Manager, confirms the number and what renting versus selling looks like at a consultation meeting.
Next step
The rent read above, then the city page.
Grisel Castro, our Property Manager, walks you through the range and the sale side at a consultation meeting, with the team that will manage the house or sell it. The city pages carry the full scope and the intake form.
Your property management team
The people managing your rental.
Grisel Castro
Property Manager · WA Lic. #137529
Leads leasing, pricing, renewals, and owner strategy
Real people, not a call center. Adriano Tori, Designated Broker (WA Lic. #27660), is accountable for every account.
In writing, in the management agreement
Six written guarantees on every account.
- Paid-on-Performance Guarantee
- 30-Day Leasing Guarantee
- 12-Month Tenant Guarantee
- Eviction Fee Guarantee
- Pet Damage Guarantee
- Fair Exit Guarantee
Certain conditions apply. Full guarantee terms.
FAQ
Owners' first questions
Should I rent out my house or sell it?
Run both numbers: the rent the house commands from live lease comps against its sale value, the net rent after vacancy, maintenance and management for the next 36 months, and the tax cost of selling in month 36 versus today. The federal capital-gains exclusion lasts 3 years after you move out, so renting first and selling inside the window is a real option with a deadline.
How much does property management cost in Seattle and on the Eastside?
RexMont's published fees are a $600 leasing fee plus 7% of rent collected ($200 monthly minimum, waived when the home is vacant), or 75% of one month's rent for leasing only, with no vacancy fee. Market ranges for every fee type are on the cost page.
What are the main 2026 rules for a Washington landlord?
No rent increase in the first 12 months and a cap of 9.683% for 2026 (10% for 2027) with 90 days' written notice statewide (120 or 180 days in Kirkland and Redmond, 180 in Seattle); a tenancy ends only for a cause in RCW 59.18.650; deposits need a written lease, a signed checklist, a trust account and an itemized return within 30 days; Seattle adds RRIO registration, first-in-time screening and a one-month move-in cap.
How is the rent for my house set?
From the active and recently leased homes near yours with the same bedroom count, adjusted for condition and season, and checked against how long comparable homes took to lease. Grisel Castro, Property Manager, reviews the read and walks you through the range at a consultation meeting.
Who at RexMont handles property management?
Grisel Castro, Property Manager (WA Lic. #137529), with Adriano Tori, Founder and Designated Broker (WA Lic. #27660), accountable for every account. The team details, pricing, guarantees and offices are on the property management about page.
For landlords
RexMont Property Management
Grisel Castro, Property Manager · Adriano Tori, Designated Broker