Exemption

ADU units for low income households

Property Tax exemption · RCW 84.36.400(2) · enacted 2023

All exemptions & deductions

Details

Citation
RCW 84.36.400(2)
Study reference
E1796-1
Tax type
Property Tax
Preference type
Exemption
Category
Other
Year enacted
2023
End date
None scheduled

Fiscal impact (2024 study estimates)

Revenue if repealed — local ($M)
FY 2024: 0 · FY 2025: I · FY 2026: I · FY 2027: I
Revenue if repealed — state ($M)
FY 2024: 0 · FY 2025: 0 · FY 2026: 0 · FY 2027: 0
Taxpayer savings — local ($M)
FY 2024: I · FY 2025: I · FY 2026: I · FY 2027: I
Taxpayer savings — state ($M)
FY 2024: I · FY 2025: I · FY 2026: I · FY 2027: I

CTI = confidential taxpayer information · D = unable to disclose

From the 2024 DOR Tax Exemption Study

84.36.400(2) - ADU units for low-income households Description A county with a population of 1.5 million or more may exempt an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) if the owner rents the ADU to a "low-income household" that is not immediate family under the age of 60, and the ADU represents 30% or less of the value of the original structure. Low-income household means a single person, family, or unrelated persons living together whose adjusted income is at or below 60% of the median household income adjusted for household size, for the county where the household is located, as reported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Purpose To incentivize renting accessory dwelling units to low-income households. Taxpayer ($ in millions): savings FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 State Taxes Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Local Taxes Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Repeal of Repealing a property tax exemption would not increase state revenues. A repeal exemption shifts the state property tax to the currently exempt taxpayers and reduces the tax burden of other taxpayers. It may decrease the local rate and possibly result in local tax

Does this apply to you?

This is reference data from the 2024 study — not advice, and 2025–26 legislation may have changed it. Three ways to go deeper: