| More than half of Seattle residents live in rental housing. Landlords and property managers are vital partners in keeping Seattle a great place to live.
Dear rental property owner or manager:
This email is about important changes to rental housing laws in Seattle. You are receiving this email because you are registered with the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance (RRIO) program. If you would prefer not to receive occasional rental housing updates from the City please go to “unsubscribe from this list” at the bottom of the page.
New Deposit and Move-in Fee Limits and Payment Plans
Security Deposit, Pet Deposit, and Move-in Fee Limits – The City has new limits on deposits and fees that can be charged at the beginning of a new rental agreement. The limits include:
- Security deposit plus move-in fees cannot exceed the amount of the first full month’s rent
- Pet deposits are limited to 25% of the amount of first full month’s rent
- Non-refundable move-in fees are limited to only tenant screening reports, criminal background checks, credit reports, and cleaning fees
- Total non-refundable move-in fees are limited to 10% of the first full month’s rent
Payment Plans Required – Landlords must allow an installment plan to pay a security deposit, a pet deposit, move-in fees, and last month’s rent. The payment plan must be structured as follows, unless otherwise agreed to by the landlord and tenant
- For rental agreements of 6 months or longer — 6 consecutive and equal payments
- For agreements between 30 days and 6 months — 4 consecutive and equal payments
- For month-to-month agreements — 2 equal installments; except for pet deposits, which can be paid in 3 equal monthly installments
Security Deposit Returns – The requirements for security deposit returns have not changed. However, the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections may now investigate and take action if a landlord improperly withholds a deposit return or in other cases where the City’s rental agreement regulations are not followed. Important points in the existing security deposit return requirements are:
- The tenant and landlord must have signed a move-in condition checklist
- Security deposits must be returned within 21 days of the tenant leaving the property
- The reasons for withholding any portion of a deposit return must be itemized in writing and provided to the former tenant within 21 days of tenant vacating the property
The new deposit and move-in fee limits and payment plan requirements do not apply to tenants in an owner-occupied single-family dwelling, including attached accessory dwelling units.
Click here to read the new law. Updated detailed information will soon be available at www.seattle.gov/rentinginseattle. Tip 607 on the website will contain most of the detailed information. Information for Tenants on the website is also being updated to reflect the new law. A new version of Information for Tenants must be provided to each tenant household with each new rental agreement.
The changes are effective January 15, 2017. The City recognizes that these changes are significant and have come quickly. As we carry out the new law, we will follow our usual approach of offering assistance and information to rental property owners, working with property owners to voluntarily correct the situation if the rules are not followed, and only taking enforcement action when voluntary corrections are not made. To increase awareness of the new requirements we are funding a landlord training and education project in 2017 and significantly increasing City outreach efforts.
As always, SDCI staff are available answer questions regarding any of the City’s rental housing ordinances. Please call (206) 615-0808 and ask for assistance.
Seattle’s Source of Income Protections and First-in-Time: Find Answers to Your Questions
Looking for more information about Seattle’s new Source of Income Protections and the First-in-Time provision for housing rental applications? The Seattle Office for Civil Rights has posted two Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) docs. One focuses on source of income protections; the other discusses the first-in-time provision.
On September 19, 2016, new legislation went into effect in Seattle that expands fair housing protections for renters who use alternative sources of income and subsidies to pay for housing costs. These protections also prohibit the use of preferred employer programs and outline new “first-in-time” requirements for screening and offering tenancy to prospective renters.
First-In-Time Provision: On December 16, 2016, Seattle City Council passed an amendment that delays the enforcement of the first-in-time provisionsuntil July 1, 2017. The amendment also exempts the first-in-time provision from applying to accessory dwelling units or detached accessory dwelling units when the owner of the property maintains a permanent residence on the same lot.
Click here to view both Frequently Asked Question docs and other information.
Free Workshop for Housing Providers:
Conducting Individualized Assessments for Individuals with Criminal Records
Wednesday, February 1, 1:30 – 3:00 pm
Seattle City Hall, 600 4th Ave. in the Bertha Knight Landes Room (Fifth Avenue level)
This workshop focuses on HUD’s guidance (April 2016) on landlords’ use of criminal records in housing, and steps housing providers can take to ensure they are complying with fair housing. Seattle City Council passed a resolution in June 2016 endorsing HUD’s guidance, which encourages landlords to use individualized tenant assessments as a best practice when using criminal history in the screening process.
Panelists include:
- Randy Redford, Attorney, Puckett & Redford PLLC
- Jennifer Wood, Director of Property Management, Cambridge Management, Inc.
- Other professional property managers
- Moderator Dan Foley, Housing Portfolio Manager, Seattle Office of Housing
Click here to RSVP. This workshop was previously offered on October 18, 2016, with other panelists. Click here to watch the video.
Seattle United for Immigrant and Refugee Families
Friday, January 20, 12 noon – 8 pm
McCaw Hall at Seattle Center, 321 Mercer St.
Free legal services and information!
- Help applying for citizenship
- Know your rights – planning for your family’s safety
- Legal help
This event is free and open to all. As a Welcoming City, Seattle aims to ensure this event is a welcoming space for all immigrants, regardless of your status. Click here for more information.
Join Us at the South Seattle Home Fair
Do you have questions about the new rental housing rules? We can answer them at the South Seattle Home Fair hosted by the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections: February 11, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., at the Filipino Community Center, 5740 Martin Luther King Jr Way S.
We’re offering free one-on-one Q&A sessions with City staff. In additional to rental housing, you can ask us about our permitting process, inspections, and codes requirements. We’ll have presentations on landslide awareness and earthquake retrofits. We will also have information about emergency preparedness, energy rebates, affordable housing, raingardens, and so much more!
For the presentation schedule and full event details, visit http://bit.ly/2hVsSGG. RSVPs are appreciated but not required.
Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance – Update
The final due date for rental housing properties to register with the Rental Registration and Inspection Ordinance has passed. Over 28,000 properties, representing over 140,000 rental units have registered with the program. In 2017 the program will step up efforts to identify unregistered rental housing properties. To report an unregistered property, you may call (206) 684-4110.
Inspections are required every 5-10 years. The City randomly selects about 400 properties per month for inspection. For more information about RRIO, including a video explaining the inspection process narrated in 10 languages, please visit www.seattle.gov/RRIO.
For Other Information on Rental Housing in Seattle
|
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Copy Link
