Monday, the Washington state House passed a bill that would limit yearly rent rises. There had been a heated debate about whether such limits would make tenants safer or cause prices to go up and housing options to narrow for those who need them.
House Bill 1217 says that owners can’t raise a renter’s fees and rent by more than 7% in a 12-month period or by any amount in the first year of the rental agreement.
It would also say that landlords have to give 90 days’ notice before raising rent, and they couldn’t charge more than a 5% change in rent for similar units.
The cap does not apply to some buildings, such as those run by charities or that are less than 12 years old and are being used as homes. People who live in triplexes or fourplexes would not be limited in their rent increases if the owner stays in one of the units.
One of the changes that were approved on Monday was getting rid of the planned cap on move-in fees for rental homes. In earlier forms, the amount could not be more than one month’s rent. Move-in fees for mobile homes will stay the same under this bill. There was also an older version that said renters had to be told about any price increases six months in advance.
Supporters say that keeping rents stable will help people stay in their homes and avoid being homeless by giving them more control over their costs. They said it was a moderate and fair way to help renters while the number of cheap homes increases.
“It’s a really strong policy,” said Rep. Nicole Macri, D-Seattle, who worked with Republicans to draft the bill that was passed. “Keeping the limit on rent increases at 7% will have a big effect on renters all over the state.”
There is an emergency measure in the bill. The rules will go into action right away if they are passed.
Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, who is in charge of the House Housing Committee, said, “Supply takes time to get going.” “The people who are unhappy are those whose rent is going up by 20, 30, 40, or 50%.”
People who are against the bill say that if rents are limited, small landlords and owners of older buildings will not be able to keep up with the rising prices of repairs and other costs. Critics say it will also stop people from building new apartments and multi-family structures.
“People who rent are upset.” “Those worries are very real,” said R-Kennewick Rep. April Connors. “Taking over the rent is not the answer.” The market will not be stable because of this bill. It will make it hard to find homes. We all agree that this is not a way to solve the housing problem. It’s an economic hurt that you caused yourself.
“This rule is not right here.” That’s what we need as a policy, said Rep. Sam Low, R-Lake Stevens, who is also on the Snohomish County Council. “With these awful rules in place, housing providers won’t be able to build any more homes.”
House Bill 1217 was passed with a vote of 53 to 42. Only five Democrats voted against it, while 37 Republicans did.
Republicans tried to add some changes that Democrats didn’t agree with. One of them would have set the cap at 10% plus the consumer price index for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area. Another proposal that didn’t pass would have stopped cities and counties from setting their own limits on rent increases.
The bill is now on its way to the Senate, where a similar bill died last year. This year’s chances are much better because the Democratic group has grown while two moderate members who were against rent caps have left.
The policy was killed by the Senate Housing Committee in 2024. Last month, the Senate Housing Committee passed a bill that was similar to the House legislation.