H-0721.1

HOUSE BILL 1460

State of Washington
66th Legislature
2019 Regular Session
ByRepresentatives Barkis, Reeves, Kirby, Jenkin, Walsh, Stokesbary, Hoff, Gildon, Chambers, Griffey, Dye, Vick, Volz, and Irwin
Read first time 01/22/19.Referred to Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary.
AN ACT Relating to notice requirements for rent increases; and amending RCW 59.18.140, 35.21.830, and 36.01.130.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 59.18.140 and 2010 c 8 s 19022 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The tenant shall conform to all reasonable obligations or restrictions, whether denominated by the landlord as rules, rental agreement, rent, or otherwise, concerning the use, occupation, and maintenance of his or her dwelling unit, appurtenances thereto, and the property of which the dwelling unit is a part if such obligations and restrictions are not in violation of any of the terms of this chapter and are not otherwise contrary to law, and if such obligations and restrictions are brought to the attention of the tenant at the time of his or her initial occupancy of the dwelling unit and thus become part of the rental agreement. Except for termination of tenancy and rent increases, after thirty days' written notice to each affected tenant, a new rule of tenancy ((including a change in the amount of rent)) may become effective upon completion of the term of the rental agreement or sooner upon mutual consent.
(2) After thirty days' written notice to each affected tenant in the case of a rent increase of ten percent or less, or after sixty days' written notice to each affected tenant in the case of a rent increase of more than ten percent, a rent increase may become effective upon completion of the term of the rental agreement or sooner upon mutual consent.
Sec. 2. RCW 35.21.830 and 1981 c 75 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
The imposition of controls on rent is of statewide significance and is preempted by the state. No city or town of any class may enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances or other provisions which regulate the amount of rent to be charged, or prescribe notice requirements for rent increases, for single-family or multiple-unit residential rental structures or sites other than properties in public ownership, under public management, or properties providing low-income rental housing under joint public-private agreements for the financing or provision of such low-income rental housing. This section shall not be construed as prohibiting any city or town from entering into agreements with private persons which regulate or control the amount of rent to be charged for rental properties or prescribe notice requirements for rent increases.
Sec. 3. RCW 36.01.130 and 1991 c 363 s 43 are each amended to read as follows:
The imposition of controls on rent is of statewide significance and is preempted by the state. No county may enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances or other provisions which regulate the amount of rent to be charged, or prescribe notice requirements for rent increases, for single-family or multiple-unit residential rental structures or sites other than properties in public ownership, under public management, or properties providing low-income rental housing under joint public-private agreements for the financing or provision of such low-income rental housing. This section shall not be construed as prohibiting any county from entering into agreements with private persons which regulate or control the amount of rent to be charged for rental properties or prescribe notice requirements for rent increases.
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