“I’m not sure how I am going to be able to afford to move to a cheaper place, since my current rent is so high and they have thousands in deposit…I can’t save enough to be able to afford to move. So instead, I’ll have to continue to struggle to pay all my bills and keep paying more rent than I can afford at this time.” — Samantha, Shoreline renter
Last night, after many months of advocacy by TRU and allies in the Stay Housed Stay Healthy coalition, the Shoreline City Council listened to renters like Samantha and took action. Despite aggressive mobilization by the landlord lobby, in a 6-1 vote, they passed a strong set of renter protections:
- 120 days notice for rent increases greater than 3%
- 180 days notice for rent increases greater than 10%
- Move in costs are capped and payable in installments
- Late fees are limited to 1.5 percent of the monthly rent
- A social security number cannot be required for a rental application
- Renters on a fixed income can adjust their rent due date
- Notice Delivery Fees and some other rental “junk fees” are banned, and all fees must be disclosed in the lease
Shoreline is the second city, after Seattle, to begin to address the growing problem of arbitrary and punitive rental “junk fees.” This is another major step taken to improve housing security for renters all across King County. We are continuing to organize with renters in other cities including Tukwila— stay tuned for updates in the new year!