Find the latest summaries and policy updates for all multifamily housing regulations and policies.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released new guidance to clarify the responsibilities of both rental housing providers and renters concerning reasonable accommodation requests for emotional support animals (ESAs) in housing. For four years, this has been a priority... Continue Reading
In Olympia last week: The House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee held a hearing on HB 2453, implementing "just cause" requirements in Washington. There were also hearings on HB 2520 adding onerous requirements to return a security deposit and HB 2535, implementing a mandatory grace period... Continue Reading
Washington's 66th Biennium resumed this week in Olympia. Washington’s legislative cycle is two years long, with sessions lasting 105 days in odd-numbered years and 60 days in even. 2020 is, therefore, a short session expected to end March 12. The first policy cut off is February 7. In the... Continue Reading
Eviction Moratoriums Harm Residents and Housing Providers: Washington Needs More Holistic Solutions to Address the Cause of Evictions and Homelessness Nobody should be without a safe place to stay during the winter – or any time of year. Evictions are a last resort for housing providers... Continue Reading
Apartment companies doing business in California or with Californians must be ready to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), the first “omnibus” privacy law in the United States, by January 1, 2020. The CCPA applies to any business that collects personal information... Continue Reading
Recent findings by the National Apartment Association (NAA) reveal rent control’s potential effects on four major U.S. cities. NAA’s analysis shows that these policies decrease the housing supply, harm the condition of existing housing stock and lower property values, which leads to... Continue Reading
According to EvictionLab.org, Washington’s eviction rate has continued to fall from its 2005 peak of 1.45% to 0.82% in 2016, the latest year the data is collected. Evictions remain low in Washington and its biggest cities despite increasing housing costs brought on by historic population... Continue Reading
On Monday, October 7, the City of Burien passed a bill creating a local rental housing code requiring "just cause" for termination of a tenancy, requiring distribution of information and notice of intent to sell low-income housing properties. The law takes effect on October 15, 2019, and applies... Continue Reading
The City of Seattle recently passed legislation requiring changes to the notices served to residents. These laws were signed by the Mayor on October 4 and take effect on November 3, 2019, for all properties located in the City of Seattle. Below is a summary of each of the laws: Council Bill... Continue Reading
The City of Federal Way is considering a rental registration and inspection program. The program will be proposed and considered by the City Council beginning in December, with an implementation and registration period throughout 2020. The city is currently proposing a $15 per unit registration... Continue Reading
An article which appeared in last Saturday’s Tacoma News Tribune highlighting new landlord-tenant laws included several assertions by tenant advocates claiming that landlords are intentionally attempting to remove protections granted to them under the new law. To set the record straight,... Continue Reading
On average, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 9 men experience some form of domestic violence at the hands of an intimate partner in America. Here in Washington state, the data is alarming. In 2018, the Domestic Abuse Women’s Network (DAWN) answered more than 5,700 calls from survivors desperate for... Continue Reading
