TACOMA, Wash. — Voters in Tacoma will decide this November between two measures that would strengthen renters’ rights.
On Tuesday, the Tacoma City Council approved a resolution to amend the city’s Rental Housing Code. It goes into effect July 24. The amendments include:
- Require a 120-day notice to raise rent, instead of a 60-day notice
- Standardize screening criteria for the amount of tenant income required to qualify for housing, for reviewing a tenant’s criminal history, and for acceptable identification — barring landlords from requiring renters to make 2.5-three times the monthly rent
- Require landlords to comply with health and safety laws
- Require landlords to have a city business license before increasing rent or evicting tenants
- Set limits on late fees for rent and on pet deposits
- Add new regulations for shared housing
The council also voted to let voters decide whether to keep the amendments or replace them with Initiative 2023-01. Initiative 2023-01 is backed by Tacoma for All, an organization fighting for a “Tenant Bill of Rights.” Tacoma for All believes the city’s amendments don’t go far enough to protect renters.
According to Tacoma for All’s website, Initiative 2023-01 includes the following:
- Landlords may not charge move-in fees that total more than one month’s rent
- Landlords may not collect pet deposits greater than 25% of one month’s rent
- Late fees are capped at $10 a month and late fee accrual following the end of the lease is prohibited
- Landlords must provide notice of rent increases 180 days and 90 days in advance
- Landlords must offer relocation assistance if they raise rents over 5%. Tenants would be entitled to the following amounts: two months of rent if over 5%, 2 ½ months’ rent if over 7.5%, three months' rent if over 10%
Renters would also be protected from eviction in the following situations:
- Students, their families, and educators would be protected during the school year
- Economic evictions during cold-weather events
- Tenants could not be evicted because of their status as a member of the military, first responder, senior, healthcare worker, family member
According to Tacoma for All, the policies in their initiative are modeled on existing laws in cities across the state. The focus on renters’ rights comes as rent prices continue to outpace renter incomes.
According to rentcafe.com, 44% of households in Tacoma rent. A 2021 city report found rents increased by 21% while renter income only increased by 12% between 2016 and 2019.
