R.A.R.E.

District 2 · Council district dossier · 2003–2025

District 2: what the record shows

The story of District 2’s landlord-tenant record on the City of Seattle open data portal, written for the Councilmember and the public. It is built from the same numbers as the dashboard.

DashboardMaps

The short version

The highest of the seven districts for notices of violation.

District 2 has 8,873 landlord-tenant records for 2003–2025, 15.8% of the city’s 56,258. 6,128 are tenant complaints and 1,976 are notices of violation. For every 100 complaints there are 32.2 notices of violation, the highest of the seven districts. The citywide figure is 24.6.

70.3% of District 2 complaints show no last inspection date, and 88.5% of those opened since 2018. A blank date does not mean no one inspected. The year-by-year section below explains why dates can be measured only from July 2025.

What changed in 2018

Complaints rose. Inspection dates stopped showing up. Notices per complaint fell.

The City of Seattle open data portal had no last inspection dates until July 2025. Until then that column held map coordinates, for example POINT (-122.33 47.60), instead of dates. In July 2025 the City backfilled it, including records back to 2003. Only then could these shares be measured, so the last inspection date line shows what the portal holds today for complaints opened each year. A blank date does not mean no one inspected. The last inspection date report tells that story.

Three measures, one chart

Landlord-tenant complaints, last inspection dates and notices of violation, open data portal

  • Complaints opened that yearright-hand scale
  • Last inspection date: out of every 100 complaints, how many have noneleft-hand scale
  • Notices of violation for every 100 complaintsleft-hand scale

2003–2017 · 15 years

1,481
complaints
13.1%
with no inspection date (194)
1,292
notices of violation, about 87 for every 100 complaints
2017

2017 sits between the two periods: 192 complaints, 36% with no inspection date.

2018–2025 · 8 years

4,647
complaints
88.5%
with no inspection date (4,112)
684
notices of violation, about 15 for every 100 complaints
Show the numbers for every year
Year openedComplaintsNo inspection datePercentNotices of violationNotices per 100 complaints
200315426.7%960.0
2004811417.3%82101.2
200557915.8%5698.2
2006881517.0%7079.5
2007991313.1%9191.9
20087867.7%85109.0
2009971010.3%9193.8
2010901314.4%100111.1
201111265.4%8475.0
201211354.4%10592.9
201312964.7%12697.7
201412821.6%10682.8
20159744.1%8587.6
20161051716.2%9085.7
20171927036.5%11258.3
201842233378.9%8019.0
201944736982.6%8819.7
202044638586.3%12528.0
202142637387.6%14734.5
202274768992.2%10113.5
202368562691.4%416.0
202471263989.7%557.7
202576269891.6%476.2

Source: City of Seattle open data portal, code complaints and violations. 8,873 landlord-tenant records in District 2, 2003–2025: 6,128 complaints, 1,976 notices of violation and 769 other records.

Show our work: Every record (CSV)Recount scriptHow we counted (printable)

What tenants reported

In their own words: mold, leaks, moisture lead the housing problems, and evictions and termination lead the paperwork.

We read the description of all 6,128 District 2 complaints and counted the problems each one names. A complaint is counted in every group it names, so the groups add up to more than the number of complaints. This shows what tenants reported, not that a problem was confirmed.

Housing conditions

  • Fire, smoke/CO alarms, gas2233.6%
  • Structural, doors, windows66710.9%
  • Heat, hot water, utilities63510.4%
  • Mold, leaks, moisture1,01916.6%
  • Plumbing, sewage5529.0%
  • Electrical3565.8%
  • Pests75312.3%
  • Other housing conditions94015.3%

Paperwork and landlord-tenant law

  • 3-day notices1312.1%
  • Just cause eviction (JCEO)5809.5%
  • Evictions and termination63710.4%
  • Rent increases and fees3986.5%
  • Deposits and refunds1923.1%
  • Other notices (type not stated)2133.5%
  • Lease terms and renewals2654.3%
  • Other (retaliation, entry, relocation, lockouts)5579.1%

Other

  • Other (noise, construction, public space)5378.8%

1,095 complaints (17.9%) are unassigned: no problem could be assigned from the words in the description. The City staff’s notes are not counted, except to find three-day notices and the JCEO label.

Show our work: Every complaint and its groups (CSV)The counting rules (script)Recount scriptHow we counted (printable)

Compared with the other districts

Notices of violation for every 100 complaints

District 2 had 32.2, the highest of the seven districts. For the whole city it was 24.6.

DistrictComplaintsNotices of violationNotices per 100 complaintsNo inspection date, all yearsNo inspection date, since 2018
District 15,1361,62131.672.0%89.5%
District 26,1281,97632.270.3%88.5%
District 38,3091,70720.576.5%90.1%
District 44,6591,23226.473.7%89.6%
District 55,1411,34626.274.4%89.4%
District 64,2031,06425.376.4%89.9%
District 76,41994614.778.7%89.1%

Elevators

19 District 2 addresses show up three times.

STLCA matched three City sources by address: Seattle Fire Department elevator rescue calls, tenant complaints that mention an elevator, and the City’s elevator certificate list. 19 District 2 addresses appear in all three: 361 rescue calls, 74 tenant complaints that mention an elevator, and 12 addresses with no certified unit on file. A rescue call shows the Fire Department was sent, not why the elevator stopped. The certificate columns are a snapshot of the City’s elevator certificate list from January 31, 2026.

AddressRescue callsLast rescueElevator complaintsCertified units on fileUnits on file without a current certificate
913 S JACKSON ST1422025-06-21102
308 4TH AVE S522025-08-121113
1911 22ND AVE S502026-01-22213
9400 RAINIER AVE S252025-12-02411
3621 33RD AVE S212025-12-281911
3501 RAINIER AVE S142025-11-26102
800 JEFFERSON ST142026-01-17521
6901 M L KING JR WAY S92023-07-04602
7700 RAINIER AVE S72025-07-01102
171 12TH AVE62025-08-27103
3512 S JUNEAU ST52025-08-16301
3610 33RD AVE S32025-05-091101
1011 E TERRACE ST22023-07-28102
220 10TH AVE22022-06-22101
2602 16TH AVE S22025-08-26112
306 6TH AVE S22024-12-31301
4628 S HOLLY ST22020-11-20101
606 12TH AVE S22023-05-06101
504 5TH AVE S12024-04-01121

Show our work: All 113 addresses (CSV)How we counted (printable)

Where the records are

Every District 2 complaint, on the map

The interactive maps place each complaint with a map point, colored by the problem it names. 100.0% of District 2’s records have a map point.