Washington uses a specific definition of “owner” in its accessory-dwelling-unit planning statutes: a person must have at least 50 percent ownership in the property where the ADU is located. A person with exactly 50 percent meets that threshold in the statutory wording. This can matter when a local ADU rule refers to an owner, but it does not settle every question about title, use, or responsibility for the property.
Read the definition in its statutory setting
RCW 36.70A.696 says its definitions apply throughout RCW 36.70A.697, .698, .680, .681, and .685, unless context clearly requires otherwise. The same section defines an ADU as a dwelling unit on the same lot as a single-family home, duplex, triplex, townhome, or other housing unit. Read the particular requirement together with those definitions and any context-specific wording; do not assume the 50 percent test applies to a rule outside that statutory group.
Check the property’s ownership records and the rule
Identify the parcel, the ADU provision being applied, and the actual ownership interests shown in current title records. If ownership is held jointly or through a trust, company, or other arrangement, the quoted definition alone may not explain how that interest is attributed or documented for a particular application. Ask the administering city or county what records it requires and how it applies the statutory definition to the property.
This ADU-planning definition is not a general title opinion, a rule for every Washington permit or rental licence, or a conclusion about who may sell, occupy, insure, or finance the property. For a transfer, financing, or dispute, review the recorded title and relevant agreements with a qualified professional. The broader owner-occupancy guide explains how to separate local residence conditions from ownership questions.