Washington state is poised to join its left coast brethren in imposing statewide rent control. The state legislature passed House Bill 1217 on Sunday, April 27 and the bill was sent to the Governor for signature. Governor Bob Ferguson (Democrat) has 20 days from the date of the bill’s passage to act on it.
What it does
The bill imposes a statewide cap on annual rent increases of the lesser of 7 percent plus the consumer price index, or 10 percent. The bill does not impose vacancy control, so landlords would be allowed to increase a unit’s rent by any amount upon the unit becoming vacant.
The rent control provisions do not apply to properties for the first 12 years after they obtain their certificates of occupancy. They do not apply to housing operated by public housing authorities, for housing whose rents are regulated by government affordable housing programs or for small owner-occupied properties.
The provisions do apply to single-family housing and to properties whose owners are corporations, real estate investment trusts or LLCs in which at least one member is a corporation.
The provisions of the new rent control law are scheduled to expire July 1, 2040.
In other news…
In other rent control news, California Assembly Bill 1157 has been withdrawn for this session of the legislature by its author, Assemblyman Ash Kalra (D) of San Jose. Assemblyman Kalra says that he plans to reintroduce the bill next year.
The vote on revisions to the rent control ordinance in St. Paul Minn. have been delayed by issues with the City Council. The council president resigned citing negative impacts that the stress of the job were having on her health. That left the remaining 6 members of the council deadlocked on the rent control measure and unable to agree on a person to fill the vacant seat on an interim basis. That resulted in the mayor filling the seat. The mayor supports modifying the rent control ordinance to exempt property built after 2004, so it is likely that the change will pass when the ordinance is considered again in May.
