How to lease property to the state

1. Register with WEBS to receive notice of opportunities
2. View current requests for leased space:
   - Solicitations for leased space (over 5,000 square feet)
   - Market Searches (5,000 square feet and under)
3. Follow instructions in notice to complete necessary forms.

See the detailed topics below for more information.

How the State Acquires Leased Space

Real Estate Services acquires lease space from the private sector for all state agencies, boards, and commissions. Currently RES has approximately 1,300 leases located throughout the state covering approximately 10 million square feet of space. These leases are primarily for office space, however they also cover other kinds of space, such as warehouse, storage, classroom and retail.

Space requirements over 5,000 square feet

Real Estate Services advertises in local newspapers and posts the entire solicitation requirements on its Internet site - Current Solicitations for Leased Space. Interested parties are required to submit a written proposal as specified in the solicitation. Proposals are evaluated by a project team consisting of RES representative and client agency staff. A RES Leasing Agent then enters into negotiations to lease space from the highest ranked proposer.

Space requirements under 5,000 square feet

Real Estate Services posts the space requirement on its Internet site - Market Searches, and RES leasing agents conduct a market search. Interested property owners and brokers are encouraged to contact the assigned RES leasing agent. Once a suitable space has been located, a RES Leasing Agent will enter into negotiations with the owner or owner's authorized representative.

State Lease Agreement

RES provides and requires the use of a standard lease agreement which has been approved by the Office of the Attorney General. The Standard Lease Sample can be downloaded from this website. RES's standard lease term is five years, however the term may vary based upon client agency programmatic needs and economic conditions.

State Specified Alterations/Improvements

Property owners interested in leasing space to the state are required to provide, as part of the base lease rate, the improvements/alterations specified in RES's Leased Space Requirements, and any agency addendums attached thereto. Part A of the Leased Space Requirements contains general information and an overview of basic requirements.

Plan Development & Construction Monitoring

RES architects support the leasing agents and their client agencies by developing floor plans and details which describe the built-out leased space. They frequently work with the building owner's architect, especially on larger projects. RES architects produce drawings which are used as lease exhibits, but not as construction bid documents. RES architects also monitor the progress of construction on behalf of the client agency. They look for compliance with applicable State codes and statutes, and approve payment of additional tenant improvements at scheduled intervals.

Employee Parking Restriction

In order to reduce the state's subsidization of employee parking, agencies are no longer permitted to enter into leases for employee parking in excess of zoning code requirements unless exempted by the Director of the Department of Enterprise Services (previously the Department of General Administration; see RCW 43.01.240 (3)). The law applies to all state facilities owned or leased except colleges and universities. Parking program guidelines have been adopted by the Interagency Task Force for Commute Trip Reduction and are available through the division's leasing agents. For more information please visit: Local Government Parking Policy and Commute Trip Reduction from Department of Transportation. This site contains a summary of municipal and county parking codes for 65 jurisdictions affected by the CTR law. The document also highlights important parking code elements for a variety of CTR-affected jurisdictions that support the goals of CTR and transportation demand management.