It’s time to celebrate our first big victories of 2023! Yesterday, Seattle took a major leap toward reining in the punitive fees that more and more renters, especially those with corporate landlords, are facing in this housing market:
With a 7-2 vote, the city council passed legislation that bans Notice Delivery Fees. These arbitrary charges, often as much as $50 or $75, are tacked on whenever a landlord pins a notice to a tenant’s door. Read more about the problem of rental “junk fees” here.
And…. Drumroll… after plenty of contentious debate, Seattle joined the South King County cities of Auburn and Burien and capped late fees at $10 per month, one of the strongest standards in the nation!
But there’s more. Last week in SeaTac, after months of deliberation, with much testimony & pressure from renters and community members, the SeaTac City Council took a final vote on new protections for renters! Here’s what they passed:
- 120 days notice for rent increases greater than 3%
- 180 days notice for rent increases greater than 10%
- Move in fees are limited to the equivalent of one month’s rent, payable in installments
- Late fees are limited to 2 percent of the monthly rent
- Limits around requiring social security numbers
- Renters on a fixed income can adjust the rent due date
- Stronger protections from eviction without just cause
- Rent cannot be increased on uninhabitable rental units
These new protections for SeaTac renters will go into effect in mid-May.
THANK YOU to everyone who helped to make these victories possible! TRU and the Stay Housed Stay Healthy Coalition are proud to have championed this legislation in Seattle and SeaTac. Join us as we continue the fight for stronger renter protections and stable, affordable housing across King County!