SEATTLE — A rent control proposal will go before the Seattle City Council in August even though it failed in a committee vote Friday.
The Sustainability and Renters’ Rights Committee voted against Council Bill 120606 in a 3-2 vote. Although the committee voted against the bill, it will still go up for a full council vote on either Aug. 1 or Aug. 8.
The bill proposes the creation of rent control provisions, regulations against rent increases, and establishing a board to authorize exceptions. It would cap the maximum rent increase based on annual inflation rates.
The bill, sponsored by City Councilmember Kshama Swant, is a trigger law. If passed, the committee’s bill would go into effect in Seattle only if the Washington state law RCW 35.21.830 was repealed. The current law prohibits rent control regulations, stating that "no city or town of any class may enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances...which regulate the amount of rent to be charged."
If RCW 35.21.830 was revoked, then the new ordinance would be triggered. A maximum annual increase for rent would be set at that time. A Rent Control Commission and District Rent Control Boards would determine any exceptions to the maximum. New rental housing units that do not replace old units would be exempted from the maximum, but only initially.
Inflation has increased since the pandemic. The renting market doesn't accurately reflect inflation prices. According to Sawant's office, rent increased by 69% from 2010-2018. During that same eight-year period, inflation increased by 20.3%.
The bill does not propose changes to the city’s budget, but the committee’s fiscal note says it would require additional staff for the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections to enforce the ordinance.