Democratic lawmakers in Olympia are once again pushing to cap the amount landlords can raise rents in Washington, a year after a similar effort fell short.
On Thursday, state Rep. Emily Alvarado, a Seattle Democrat, prefiled House Bill 1217 — a “rent stabilization” proposal that would prevent landlords from raising rent by more than 7% annually for existing tenants. It would also limit various types of rental fees and require landlords to provide at least 180 days’ notice for rent increases over 3%.
During a news conference Friday morning, Alvarado and other progressive lawmakers described the proposal as a key step toward protecting renters and fighting homelessness in Washington.
The bill is largely identical to the rent stabilization bill Alvarado sponsored last year, which passed the House but died after a contentious battle in the Senate.
Alvarado and her progressive colleagues said they’re optimistic the proposal has a better shot at passing this year. Two Democrats who played a key role in blocking the bill on the Ways and Means Committee last year won’t be returning to the Senate this year.
“We have a good sense of stronger support in the Senate,” said state Rep. Nicole Macri, a Seattle Democrat who is co-sponsoring the new bill.
Macri also pointed to the results of a Cascade PBS/Elway poll released Thursday, which found that 68% of respondents favored limits on the amount that landlords can raise rent each year.
At a legislative preview event on Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader John Braun, a Republican from Centralia, argued that a cap on rent would disincentivize private development and ultimately worsen the housing shortage. He said his Republican colleagues would likely oppose the bill.
“We may have a good short-term effect … but we will stop the building” of private development, Braun said.
Alvarado said Friday that her bill takes a “balanced approach” that protects tenants while also encouraging more housing supply. She noted that residential construction would be exempted from the rent cap if it's less than 10 years old, and that landlords could still raise rent any amount between one tenant and the next.
