S-4110.1

SENATE BILL 6592


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2016 Regular Session

By Senators Jayapal, Miloscia, Darneille, Cleveland, Frockt, Conway, Chase, Hasegawa, Keiser, and McAuliffe

Read first time 01/28/16. Referred to Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that dramatic rent increases are becoming an emergency situation across the state. Rent spikes have dire consequences for low and middle-income families. In 2015, Vancouver, Washington topped the list of cities that experienced the highest year-to-year rent increases, with Seattle coming in third. High rent increases amount to eviction for many people who are already overburdened by rent payments. Without adequate time or resources, low-income households can easily slip into homelessness.

The legislature recognizes that tenants required to find new rental housing based on a rent increase need sufficient time to locate new housing and save accordingly. Receiving thirty days' notice for a significant rent increase is simply inadequate in today's rental market. It is the intent and purpose of this act to provide tenants with sufficient time to find satisfactory housing to meet their needs, which can include transportation, school, childcare, and job-related issues.

(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, 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) Unless otherwise agreed to by mutual consent, a new rule of tenancy, including a change in rent, may become effective upon completion of the term of the rental agreement and after thirty days' written notice to each affected tenant.

(3) Any city, town, county, or municipal corporation that is required to develop a comprehensive plan under RCW 36.70A.040(1) is authorized to require, after reasonable notice to the public and a public hearing, up to ninety days' written notice for a change in rent exceeding five percent of the tenant's current rent.