(The Center Square) – Democrats in the Washington State Legislature are taking another run at rent control with pre-filed legislation to that effect for the 105-day session that starts Monday.
Rep. Emily Alvarado, D-Seattle, pre-filed House Bill 2117 this week.
“It caps rent increases at 7% annually, but it lets landlords set the rent however they like at the start of the tenancy,” Alvarado explained at a Friday morning press conference announcing the legislation.
The lawmaker said she’s constantly hearing from renters in her district about out-of-control rent increases.
“Since this bill was not passed last year, 15% of renters received a $250 or greater per month rent increase,” she said. “These excessive rent increases destabilize our communities, and it’s time to do something about it.”
Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, is sponsoring Senate Bill 5222, companion legislation in the other chamber.
“What I’ve heard at every coffee chat in every email from constituents across the district, is people cannot keep up with their rent,” Trudeau said at Friday’s press conference. “Housing is a fundamental basic need.”
The Center Square asked the panel what changes had been made to the bill since last year’s attempt, which did not have support from Republicans; even some Democrats were unwilling to sign on.
“This bill has changed over the years to respond to feedback,” Alvarado replied. “When I first introduced the bill last year, it was a 5% cap that was adjusted to 7% upon feedback. It capped move-in fees and other fees at a certain amount. We have increased those levels based on feedback from various stakeholders.”
Alvarado noted the new legislation also addresses concerns from landlords who opposed tying rent increases to inflation.
“They said they preferred a flat amount that provided an easier opportunity for administration,” she said.
Opponents contend rent control will worsen the housing shortage, with landlords unable to increase rent to keep up with rising costs for maintenance and property taxes.
“Although people have mentioned concerns about supply, we have some key policy details in this bill that makes it really reasonable and works in tandem with our vision to create more housing in our communities,” Alvarado said. “This is not an either-or. We can both create more housing supply and protect tenants now. This is a balanced approach to doing so.”
The bill’s annual cap on rent increases makes some exceptions, including buildings operated by nonprofits and residential construction that is 10 years old or less.
Rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, who is also chair of the Washington State Republican Party, texted The Center Square that rent control is a false promise.
“Artificially restricting how much or under what terms houses or apartments can be rented creates scarcity in housing inventory,” Walsh said. “That scarcity drives rents up even higher, and benefits people who already have housing, which is where we are now in Washington.”
Fixing the problem, he said, requires freeing up the markets for building more housing.
“Deregulate, don’t add more regulations,” Walsh stated.
Many landlords and property owners are expected to oppose the bill once again, suggesting it will worsen Washington’s housing shortage.
As previously reported by The Center Square, during the debate over last year’s version of the bill, Ian Randall, representing Seattle Grassroots Landlords, cited a December 2023 Seattle City Auditor report showing the city had lost more than 7,000 rental properties since 2019.
