Washington RCW 64.90.575 says an association may not adopt or enforce a restriction that regulates or limits the number of unrelated persons who may occupy a unit. The rule requires boards to separate an association-created relationship or household-composition restriction from a lawful occupancy standard that applies for another reason.

The section preserves occupancy limits on short-term rentals as defined in RCW 64.37.010. It also preserves an occupant-load-per-square-foot limit or another generally applicable health and safety provision established by an applicable building code or city or county ordinance. The association should identify the exact legal source rather than repeating a number from an old rule or complaint.

Start with applicability. RCW 64.90.365 lists WUCIOA sections that apply to many communities created before July 1, 2018, but it does not list Section .575. Older communities should have Washington association counsel determine whether the section applies through the community's creation date, election into WUCIOA, another statute, or another legal path.

Inventory every rule that can function as an occupancy limit: definitions of family, caps on unrelated persons, guest-duration rules, lease registration, room-rental restrictions, parking or access limits tied to household size, and enforcement forms. Review the declaration, bylaws, rules, leases, architectural policies, owner communications, and prior enforcement record together.

Do not treat a local rumor as a code. Obtain the current city or county ordinance, building code provision, certificate of occupancy, or written building-official guidance that applies to the property. A lawful occupant-load standard may depend on unit size, sleeping rooms, use, building classification, septic capacity, or other facts the board and manager should not invent.

Short-term rental rules require a separate analysis. Confirm that the use fits the statutory definition and identify the declaration, applicable statute, and local licensing or land-use rule. A board should not label a long-term household a short-term rental merely to reach an occupancy cap that Section .575 otherwise prohibits.

Route fair-housing issues immediately. A complaint, application, or enforcement matter may involve disability, familial status, national origin, religion, sex, or another protected characteristic; a reasonable accommodation; a live-in aide; children; domestic relationships; or selective enforcement. Managers should gather facts and preserve deadlines, not offer legal conclusions.

Use a controlled complaint workflow. Record the reported condition, source, dates, objective observations, claimed rule or code, unit information, and immediate life-safety concern. Protect private household information and avoid demanding names, relationships, medical information, immigration information, or documents that are not necessary and lawful for the specific review.

Before notice or enforcement, have the association's decision-maker verify statutory applicability, the exact governing provision, local law, evidence, prior comparable matters, notice and hearing procedures, and counsel guidance. If the concern is noise, trash, parking, nuisance, or unsafe conditions, enforce the behavior or valid standard rather than using household composition as a proxy.

If a rule is invalid or obsolete, pause enforcement and update it through the process that applies to association rules and governing documents. Communicate the revised standard prospectively, train directors and managers, and review templates so an old family-definition field does not continue the problem.

Maintain a defensible record: governing documents reviewed, statutory analysis from counsel, local code source, communications, complaint evidence, accommodations, decision, notice, hearing, resolution, and policy update. Restrict access to personal information and follow the association's retention policy.

This checklist is general board education, not legal, fair-housing, building-code, land-use, health, safety, leasing, or insurance advice. Occupancy disputes are fact-specific and can carry significant legal exposure; use qualified Washington counsel and the appropriate public officials.