Disclosure: This guide is published by Apartment List. Three of the tools reviewed (Apartment List, Kaleno, and Sunny) are Apartment List products. We've included competitor platforms because a useful comparison requires them. Our recommendations reflect product differences, not paid placement.
Seattle rents have fallen over the past year, making current listings worth comparing even if you searched here recently. According to the Apartment List Rent Index, Seattle's median rent was $2,092 a month in August 2026, down 2.9% from August 2025. Use apartment sites to compare what your budget buys across neighborhoods, including fees and commute costs.
Seattle's apartment vacancy rate was 6.4% in August 2026, compared with 7.1% nationally, while the typical apartment leased in 30.7 days, close to the national 31.7 days, according to Apartment List's August 2026 rental data. That puts the city's overall leasing pace near the national norm, even with a smaller share of apartments vacant. Build a shortlist around your budget and must-haves.
Have your application documents ready as you compare. Seattle's First-in-Time ordinance requires landlords to offer the rental agreement to the first qualified applicant who submits a complete application. Read each property's screening criteria before touring so you're prepared to apply when you find a fit.
For a Seattle search, start with Apartment List if you want your budget cap, commute and must-haves to guide the search. It's free and gives you a shortlist based on your preferences.
Add Zillow to browse different types of rentals, or Kaleno if you want help searching, contacting leasing teams and scheduling tours. Use Sunny to review fees alongside the rent on your shortlisted apartments.
For affordable units inside market-rate buildings, use the Seattle Office of Housing's interactive map, which shows participating buildings by neighborhood and number of bedrooms. Public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers are a separate route through the Seattle Housing Authority.
Apartment List publishes this guide. Apartment List, Kaleno and Sunny are Apartment List products; the others are not.
| Site | Best for | Search style | How to use it in Seattle | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment List | Personalized matching | Quiz-based matching | Set your budget and commute, then compare listings across the Seattle neighborhoods you're considering | Free |
| Zillow | Different types of rentals | Browse and filter | Compare listing types as you define your search area | Free |
| Kaleno | Assisted apartment search | AI-guided search | Describe your neighborhoods and commute, then review the options it finds | Free |
| Sunny | Comparing fees with rent | Listings plus cash back | Check the cost details of shortlisted apartments | Free |
| Apartments.com | Listings from large property managers | Browse and filter | Review professionally managed buildings | Free |
| HotPads | Map-based neighborhood searches | Map-first browse | Draw a boundary around the neighborhoods you're considering | Free |
| Zumper | New-listing alerts | Browse plus alerts | Set alerts for your preferred area and budget | Free |
| Seattle Office of Housing map | Affordable units inside market-rate buildings | Interactive map | Filter by bedrooms and neighborhood, then call the building about availability and income limits | Free |
Features and available apartments vary by market; platform information reviewed September 2026.
For a national comparison, see our guide to the best apartment search tools.
Apartment List asks about your budget, move date, commute and preferred amenities, then returns a shortlist based on those preferences. Use the map to compare the neighborhoods you're considering, and check whether each shortlisted property is inside Seattle city limits, since the move-in and application rules described below apply there.
Zillow carries apartments in managed buildings, owner-listed condos and single-family rentals. Browse it while deciding which types of homes to include in your search, and confirm an apartment is available before traveling to see it.
Kaleno lets you describe your budget, preferred neighborhoods and other requirements in everyday language. It can find apartments, contact leasing teams and schedule tours, leaving you to review the options and make the decisions.
Sunny is an Apartment List product that presents fees alongside rent and offers cash back on eligible leases signed through the platform. Cash back is a rebate from Sunny; it doesn't reduce the rent stated in a lease. Check a property's own written fee breakdown before applying.
Apartments.com works with large property management companies and carries listings for professionally managed buildings. Compare floor plans and listed prices, then confirm current availability and charges with the property.
HotPads opens on a map and lets you focus on the neighborhoods you're considering. After drawing your search area, check the trip from a particular address to the light rail station or bus route you'd use, at the time of day you'd travel.
Set Zumper alerts for rentals matching your area and budget. An alert gives you another way to spot a listing; confirm its price and availability with the property.
The Seattle Office of Housing publishes an interactive map of market-rate apartment buildings that include rent-restricted affordable units, through programs such as the Multifamily Tax Exemption. Filter by number of bedrooms and neighborhood, then click a building for its income restrictions and contact details. The Office of Housing publishes the map but doesn't handle leasing or keep a waitlist: each property's management certifies your household income and handles the application, so call the building directly about which units are available.
Public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers are a separate route through the Seattle Housing Authority, which owns and operates more than 8,000 apartments and homes across the city. SHA's site says applications for a Housing Choice Voucher are ongoing and can be submitted at any time.
According to the Apartment List Rent Index, median rent in Seattle was $2,092 a month in August 2026. Rents fell 2.9% from August 2025 but rose 0.27% from July 2026.
| Seattle apartment size | Median monthly rent, August 2026 |
|---|---|
| One bedroom | $1,953 |
| Two bedrooms | $2,437 |
Source: Apartment List Rent Index, Seattle city, August 2026. Each median describes its own set of apartments.
At the August 2026 Apartment List citywide median of $2,092, a household paying that full monthly rent would need about $83,680 a year in gross income for rent to equal 30% of income. This rent-only calculation is an illustration, not an income requirement for a particular listing. HUD's affordability measure also accounts for utilities. Put a specific apartment's asking rent into the Apartment List rent calculator, and see our Seattle cost of living guide for expenses beyond rent.
Get the deposit and move-in fee breakdown in writing, and check it against the city's caps. Inside Seattle, the security deposit and nonrefundable move-in fees combined can't exceed one month's rent. Nonrefundable fees can only be charged for screening and cleaning, and generally can't exceed 10% of one month's rent; the city allows a narrow exception when the actual cost of screening runs higher and matches standard Seattle screening costs. A pet deposit of up to 25% of one month's rent can be charged on top. For an apartment renting for $2,092, Seattle's median in August 2026, that's a $2,092 ceiling on deposit plus fees, with nonrefundable fees generally capped at about $209 and a pet deposit of up to about $523. Ask for every charge to be itemized. The rules are on the city's move-in fees and deposits page.
Ask about paying move-in costs in installments. Seattle renters have the right to pay the security deposit, move-in fees and any last month's rent in installments. For a rental agreement of six months or longer, that's six equal monthly payments for the deposit and fees, six for last month's rent, and three for a pet deposit; shorter agreements allow fewer installments, and you and the landlord can agree to a different schedule. A landlord can't charge interest for paying this way or refuse to rent to you because you choose it, though a missed installment can be treated like late rent. The schedule is published on the same city page.
Read the screening criteria and apply with a complete package. Under Seattle's First-in-Time ordinance, a landlord must offer the rental agreement to the first qualified applicant who submits a complete application. Landlords must publish their minimum screening criteria and the documents they require in advance, stamp applications with the date and time received, and screen them one at a time in that order. If your application is otherwise complete, you get at least 72 hours to supply any additional information, and 48 hours to accept an offer before the landlord moves to the next applicant. Gather every listed document before you tour, and submit everything at once.
Apartment List builds a shortlist from your budget, commute and other preferences. Cross-check another listing site for apartments in your preferred area, and use Sunny to review fees. For affordable units inside market-rate buildings, use the Seattle Office of Housing's interactive map and contact the building directly.
The Apartment List Rent Index reports a median rent of $2,092 per month for Seattle as of August 2026. Its one-bedroom median was $1,953 and its two-bedroom median was $2,437.
Down year over year, but slightly up month over month. According to the Apartment List Rent Index, Seattle's median rent was $2,092 a month in August 2026, down 2.9% from August 2025 and up 0.27% from July 2026. Rents remained below last year's level despite the monthly increase.
Using the Apartment List Rent Index's $2,092 Seattle citywide median for August 2026, rent would equal 30% of about $83,680 in annual gross household income. That is a rent-only illustration, not a property's qualification rule. Check the rent on the listing you want, any utilities you would pay, and the property's own application requirements.
According to Apartment List's August 2026 rental data, the typical Seattle apartment leased in 30.7 days, close to the national figure of 31.7. The city's vacancy rate was 6.4% that month versus 7.1% nationally. These are citywide measures; confirm availability with each property.
Apartment List can build a shortlist using your budget, commute and amenities, and its map lets you compare the neighborhoods you're considering. The service is free for renters.
Kaleno, an Apartment List product, lets you describe your search and can contact leasing teams and schedule tours. Review the listings it finds alongside other options in your preferred areas.
Inside Seattle, the security deposit and nonrefundable move-in fees combined can't exceed one month's rent, nonrefundable fees generally can't exceed 10% of one month's rent, and a pet deposit of up to 25% of one month's rent can be charged separately. For an apartment renting for $2,092, Seattle's August 2026 median (Apartment List Rent Index), that's a $2,092 ceiling on deposit plus fees. On leases of six months or longer, the city's schedule allows six equal monthly installments for the security deposit and move-in fees, and three for a pet deposit. The city publishes the rules on its move-in fees and deposits page.
For rentals inside Seattle, the First-in-Time ordinance requires a landlord to offer the rental agreement to the first qualified applicant who submits a complete application. Landlords must publish their screening criteria and required documents in advance and screen applications in the order received. Read the criteria for each building you're considering, gather every document it lists, and submit a complete application rather than a partial one.
For rent-restricted units inside market-rate buildings, use the Seattle Office of Housing's interactive map, filter by bedrooms and neighborhood, and call the building about availability and income limits, since the Office of Housing doesn't handle leasing or keep a waitlist. Public housing and Housing Choice Vouchers are a separate route through the Seattle Housing Authority.
Rent and rent-change figures: Apartment List Rent Index, Seattle city, August 2026. Vacancy and leasing-time figures: Apartment List's August 2026 rental data, from the Vacancy Index and Time on Market series for Seattle city and national. Seattle rental rules: the city's move-in fees and deposits and First-in-Time guidance. Housing resources: Seattle Office of Housing and the Seattle Housing Authority. Platform features reviewed September 2026; availability and eligibility vary by property.
In unit laundry, Patio / balcony, Hardwood floors, Dishwasher, Pet friendly, Garage + more
In unit laundry, Patio / balcony, Hardwood floors, Dishwasher, Pet friendly, New construction + more
