OLYMPIA, Wash. — Three bills aimed at stabilizing rent increases and preventing rent gouging in Washington state were proposed to the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
HB 1388 would prevent "excessive rent increases," which would be defined in the bill as "a rent increase during a 12-month period that is greater than the rate of inflation as measured by CPI-U (West Region) or 3%, whichever is greater, up to a maximum of 7%."
The Attorney General's office also would get back its authority to enforce state tenant protections, and landlords would no longer be allowed to charge significantly more or place more burdensome requirements on month-to-month tenants.
HB 1389 would prohibit rent increases during the first year of tenancy and prevent excessive increases. Exemptions would be in place if a landlord has paid for improvements to the dwelling that cost more than four months' rent.
HB 1124 would require landlords to provide at least 180 days' notice for any rent increases over 5% and would allow a tenant to terminate a tenancy without penalty for any rent increases above 5%.
In addition, the proposal would limit late rental payment fees to $75 under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.
“The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance is proud to work with Representatives Macri and Ramel to pass these and other measures to help stabilize rents across our state and prevent more people from being displaced from their homes," said Michele Thomas, Policy & Advocacy Director Washington Low Income Housing Alliance. "According to recent polls, homelessness, housing costs and rising rent top the list of concerns for people of all incomes across our state. It’s time that our lawmakers take action to fix a broken one-sided system that allows landlords to increase rents by any amount with too short of notice. These bills provide a balanced approach that allows landlords to raise rents by reasonable amounts that account for inflation while giving tenants protection and peace of mind knowing that rent increases will be both predictable and affordable."