Houses for Rent in Tacoma, WA
Explore our available rental homes with up-to-date listings, real property photos, transparent pricing, and clearly published application requirements, so you know exactly what to expect before applying.
Real Estate Listings
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What renting in Tacoma actually costs right now
| Tacoma rent by size | Average |
|---|---|
| Studio | $1,250 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,403 |
| 2 bedroom | $1,815 |
| 3 bedroom | $2,600 |
| All types | $1,718 |
Source: Zillow Rental Manager market trends, Tacoma WA, August 2026.
Here are the current citywide figures, with the source and the date on every line. We do not average different sources together, because that produces a number that is not true anywhere.
A second source, measuring differently: median rent across all types in Tacoma was $1,677, with one bedrooms at $1,433 and two bedrooms at $1,790, down 1.6% year over year and up 1.3% year to date. Source: Apartment List Tacoma Rent Report, September 2026.
That “down 1.6%” line is good news if you are looking right now. Tacoma rents have flattened, so you have more room to negotiate than renters had two years ago, especially on a home listed more than a couple of weeks.
Houses generally rent above these averages, because the figures include apartments. A three bedroom house with a yard and a garage usually sits above the $2,600 three bedroom average, not below it.
What you should budget to move in, inside Tacoma city limits
This is the part almost no listing site explains, and it is the difference between finding a home and losing a deposit you could not cover.
Tacoma caps your total move-in cost at one month’s rent. Under Tacoma Municipal Code 1.100.040, the total of your security deposit plus any non-refundable fees plus screening fees may not exceed the first month’s rent. That is a cap on the extras, on top of the first month’s rent itself.
So for a Tacoma home at $1,815 a month, plan on this:
Realistic total to get keys: up to about two months’ rent, and often less
First month’s rent: $1,815
Everything else combined, including the security deposit, any non-refundable move-in fee and the application fee: no more than $1,815
Five more rules that protect you:
01
You can ask to pay move-in costs in installments
Under RCW 59.18.610, if you request it in writing, the landlord must let you pay the deposit, non-refundable fees and any last month’s rent in three equal monthly installments on a lease of three months or longer, or two installments on a shorter lease. No fee, no interest. This is your right, not a favor.
02
You must be told what the screening fee buys before you pay it
Under RCW 59.18.257, a landlord must give you written disclosure of what will be checked, the criteria that can cause a denial, the name of the reporting agency and your right to dispute what it says, before collecting a screening fee.
A move-in condition checklist is required
03
Under RCW 59.18.260 the landlord cannot collect any deposit at all without a written checklist of the unit’s condition, signed by both of you. Walk the unit, write down every scuff and stain, take photos, and keep your copy. That single document is what protects your deposit at move-out.
Pet deposits are capped in Tacoma
04
A pet damage deposit may not exceed 25% of one month’s rent and is refundable to the extent it exceeds actual pet damage. Also TMC 1.100.040.
05
A holding deposit is capped at 25% of the first month’s rent
RCW 59.18.253. Fees just to sit on a waiting list are unlawful in Washington.
These Tacoma rules apply only inside Tacoma city limits. Homes in Parkland, Spanaway, Lakewood, University Place, Puyallup and unincorporated Pierce County follow state law but not Tacoma’s move-in cap. We tell you which set applies to the home you are looking at.
Areas We Serve
Questions renters ask us
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Yes, and we approve pets on many of our homes. Every applicant completes a pet profile at petscreening.com, including applicants with no pets. In Tacoma, a pet damage deposit may not exceed 25% of one month’s rent under TMC 1.100.040, and it is refundable to the extent it exceeds actual pet damage. Assistance animals are not pets and are never charged pet fees or pet rent.
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The Tacoma average for a three bedroom was $2,600 in August 2026 according to Zillow Rental Manager market trends. That figure includes apartments and townhomes, so a detached three bedroom house with a yard and a garage typically prices at or above it. South Tacoma and the East Side generally hold more three bedroom house inventory than the North End.
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Under $1,500 is realistic for a studio or a one bedroom. Zillow put the Tacoma studio average at $1,250 and the one bedroom average at $1,403 in August 2026. A whole house under $1,500 is uncommon and goes very quickly when it appears. Set an alert, be ready to view the same day, and have your documents assembled before you apply.
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Inside Tacoma city limits, plan on the first month’s rent plus no more than one additional month’s rent for everything else combined. TMC 1.100.040 caps the total of your security deposit, non-refundable fees and screening fees at the first month’s rent. You may also request in writing to pay those move-in costs in installments under RCW 59.18.610, with no fee and no interest.
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Yes. Washington law under RCW 59.18.255 protects source of income and specifically includes Section 8, so refusing an applicant for having a voucher is unlawful. The voucher amount is also subtracted from the rent before any income to rent ratio is applied, which means you qualify against your portion of the rent, not the full rent.
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Our published minimum is a 600 credit score, along with no evictions in the last five years, no outstanding debts to previous landlords, 12 months of employment history and gross income of at least 3 times the rent, applied within Tacoma’s income to rent limits. All of it is in our rental application criteria so you can check yourself before you pay a fee.
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It varies by price, size and season. Tacoma rents are flat right now, down 1.6% year over year per the Apartment List Tacoma Rent Report for September 2026, which gives you more room than renters had a year or two ago. Good houses in the North End still move in days.