OLYMPIA, Wash. — On Wednesday, Gov. Bob Ferguson is expected to sign a bill that would set limits on rent increases.
If signed into law, the rent stabilization bill, HB 1217, would be among the first in the nation. It caps rent increases at 7% plus inflation or 10% — whichever is lower.
If signed into law, the rent stabilization bill would be among the first in the nation, adding Washington to states like Oregon and California that have sought new ways to curb homelessness.
Washington’s rent-control bill made it through both houses, but two unexpected amendments added on the Senate floor sent House Bill 1217 into a conference committee. Those amendments increased the cap from 7% to 10% plus inflation and exempted single-family homes.
Opponents of the bill warned that developers would leave the state if it became law and argued that similar policies in Oregon and California only added to those states’ financial burdens instead of slowing the homeless crisis.
The Washington legislature’s conference committee also restored protections for the 38% of renters who live in single-family homes. The rent-increase cap for manufactured homes remains at 5%.
Michele Thomas, director of policy for Low Income Housing Alliance, said the policy was hard-fought and she was happy the state made a step toward better protections for tenants.
“Excessive rent increases threaten nearly 1 million renter households in our state with displacement and homelessness, as rents continue to rise,” she said. “This bill will help keep people in their homes as we continue to fight for stronger protections and for more affordable housing for our communities.”
