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News & ArtsFriday, September 28, 2012
City City Council Will Pass Rental Housing Legislation On Monday
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 5:20 PM
If you're a renter who lives in one of Seattle's 42,000 rental properties, listen up, this is important: On Monday, the Seattle City Council is slated to vote on new rental housing legislation that will grant tenants broader rights when dealing with bad landlords or slumlords who flout the law.
Word on the street is the council has the votes to pass this important measure, which would:
·Require every rental property to be registered with the city (between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2016, depending on the number of units), pay a registration fee, and demonstrate that it meets basic health and safety requirements.
· Allow the city to randomly select at least 10 percent of Seattle's rental stock for an annual inspection. (Inspections are capped per building to minimize owner costs. For example, a building with more than 20 units would have 15 percent or less of its units inspected.) Every five years, inspected properties will be placed back into the inspection pool when their registration expires.
· Allow landlords to select a private inspector who's been certified by the city.
· Ensure that all of the city's registered rental housing stock is inspected at least once a decade.
· Allow citizens to lodge complaints about rentals and have the Department of Planning and Development respond with an interior inspection of the housing unit.
The legislation is a great victory for council member Nick Licata's office, which has worked tirelessly on this issue for years, as well as the Tenants Union of Washington. And, of course, for tenants. Do yourself a favor and, if this thing passes, know your rights.
2
KNOW WHAT YOUR RIGHTS MEAN TO YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. Remember tenants, when you bitch about high rents: YOU will be paying the fee via your rent, YOU will pay for all voter approved school levies, and other voter approved property tax levies, landlord restriction law fees what ever and what not. YOU will be paying for all that the city places on Landlords to maintain renter high expectations and demands. They may be reasonable demands and good demands, but they are NOT FREE.
3
@2. Have to somewhat agree with you. But the other side to this will be fewer landlords who rent MIL's and the like being willing to rent out places that are nice but may not meet the standards of the city. And those of you with bad or iffy credit (20 somethings with lots of student loan debt) you are going to be pushed out of the market in many cases. Because it's those smaller landlords who are more likely to cut you a deal.
Sounds good on paper but I have some doubts
Sounds good on paper but I have some doubts
4
I have 15+ years experience in property management (King County), and I see this as a double edged sword.
@2: add higher maintenance costs also, all this will be charged back to the tenants via rent increases.
@3: you are absolutely correct, there will be fewer MIL's and the private landlords will also add the extra fees and maintenenance to the rent.
@2: add higher maintenance costs also, all this will be charged back to the tenants via rent increases.
@3: you are absolutely correct, there will be fewer MIL's and the private landlords will also add the extra fees and maintenenance to the rent.
6
@5 no. All the landlord/manager has to do is give a "48 hour notice". This notice can simply be posted on the door and they have the legal right to enter.
7
[FLOUT the law, m'dear, though by this late hour you're probably twice as drunk as I are. NO DO-OVERS!]
8
laws like this get to the root of the flaw of liberalism, the belief that the system is capable of being perfected. there has to be an outlet for the poor living on the edge of society without being "outside" of it. this will push a lot of the poor into a worse situation, create more off the record renting with less rights for the illegal tenants. is housing a right, if you have no home and very little money do you have a right to live in a basement, a garage, a plywood shelter. this law says no you don't. if you can't afford a "nice" place, you have no right to live anywhere.
9
I used to itemize the property taxes for my tenants back when I had my pre-bubble rentals...…listed every levy, tax or whatnot those morons voted for on their leases. Best part of being a landlord in fact, watching their fucking faces when they noticed how much they'd raised their own rent. Fucking priceless.
10
And what happens when the city's inspector notices a stray joint on your living room coffee table or an unlicensed pet in your yard? Do you have to clean up before the inspector visits, or will s/he overlook the mountains of laundry on the bathroom floor and the dishes piled in the kitchen sink? Personally, I'd rather have the Jehovah's Witnesses than the city's housing gestapo—at least the former don't get farther than the doorstep.
11
And who pays for everyone's time for all this? I mean, I know the inspectors will be paid, and very handsomely in all likelihood (what, btw, will be their qualifications?) But presumably the landlord will have to attend, and perhaps the tenant too (taking a day off work?)
12
I'd rather see the City beef up building codes and disclosure requirements for rental housing. Perpetually grandfathering in units with zero soundproofing, ungrounded electrical outlets, kitchen and bathroom outlets without GFCI, water heaters too small for the bathtub, exterior doors that can be broken in with a couple of kicks, windows without insect screens, etc., etc., is getting seriously old. Then, if you want to avoid the expense and corruption inherent in a pro-active privatized inspection program, award generous protections, damages, and equitable relief to tenants who can prove a violation by a preponderance of the evidence.
13
@10 you nailed it; unlicensed pet, expect a follow up, i.e. pet deposit, pet fee, pet rent (depending on the property's pet policy). Poor housekeeping might get you a 10 day notice (in exteme cases); pot is usually ignored, but again, this depends on the landlord or the property management company. But the entire inspection process is an inconvenience for the tenant at best, and in my opinion, feels like an invasion of privacy for many people.
What 12 said!
What 12 said!
14
I would rather make the fines super steep with a portion going the affected tenant. Money for the city and money for the person harmed. Couple the fines with liens on the property if they are unpaid and any property seized could be fixed up by the city as affordable housing.
If someone is going to ignore the law when it comes to safety they sure as well will be willing to ignore the law when it comes to joining this registry.
All this does is increase costs.
If someone is going to ignore the law when it comes to safety they sure as well will be willing to ignore the law when it comes to joining this registry.
All this does is increase costs.
15
This will increase the overall cost of housing in Seattle for sure, and push the poor further out of the city.
Despite Licata and the Stranger's apparent love for affordable housing stock, this is a gentrifying move that will turn into another boon for the developers of the Seattle, who are producing housing stock that is typically above market rate, or sometimes "below market rate" but tiny and very profitable in the case of micro-apartments that we're cranking out like crazy.
The demand to bring all the low end housing stock up to code will either force these owners out of business (with new owners upgrading and raising rents, or tearing down and building new) or will force them to repair and raise tenant rents.
I can tell you that in my neighborhood there are many buildings that provide rental housing to immigrant families that are below this standard. I strongly suspect that none will pass inspection. I also strongly suspect that the owners will not be able to comply with timetables and penalties proscribed.
Pack 'em up and move 'em to Kent. Or into a Cap Hill micro-apartment, with Mulhair continuing to make out like a bandit at the expense of the families losing living space and a shared backyard. The property here in the 'hood flips and expensive townhouses pop up.
I don't know what the solution is, and haven't followed this issue closely enough, but a complaint-based system wouldn't have worked for the most egregious situations?
Despite Licata and the Stranger's apparent love for affordable housing stock, this is a gentrifying move that will turn into another boon for the developers of the Seattle, who are producing housing stock that is typically above market rate, or sometimes "below market rate" but tiny and very profitable in the case of micro-apartments that we're cranking out like crazy.
The demand to bring all the low end housing stock up to code will either force these owners out of business (with new owners upgrading and raising rents, or tearing down and building new) or will force them to repair and raise tenant rents.
I can tell you that in my neighborhood there are many buildings that provide rental housing to immigrant families that are below this standard. I strongly suspect that none will pass inspection. I also strongly suspect that the owners will not be able to comply with timetables and penalties proscribed.
Pack 'em up and move 'em to Kent. Or into a Cap Hill micro-apartment, with Mulhair continuing to make out like a bandit at the expense of the families losing living space and a shared backyard. The property here in the 'hood flips and expensive townhouses pop up.
I don't know what the solution is, and haven't followed this issue closely enough, but a complaint-based system wouldn't have worked for the most egregious situations?
16
Oh is this ever going to make it more expensive here. It will scare the living shit out of small landlords. I absolutely know that I wouldn't have rented out my house a few years back if this was in force, and I know someone else who won't be renting out her mother-in-law unit.
In a tight market, it doesn't take much withdrawal of supply to cause big jumps in rents. This is one more example of "progressives" doing everything they can to drive the working class out of Seattle.
In a tight market, it doesn't take much withdrawal of supply to cause big jumps in rents. This is one more example of "progressives" doing everything they can to drive the working class out of Seattle.
17
This is a stupid mindless law written with good intentions. And all those MIL's and small guest house rentals in Seattle that we used to all want? Those are gone. Smaller landlords don't have the time or resources to deal with an inspection process that could get really stupid really fast. Larger arrangement companies will adjust rents up even higher than they are and be even more selective in their selection of potential tenants. The tenants who would normally need those MIL's aren't going to have that option and many of those are people with questionable credit or no credit that a landlord renting out their upstairs apartment may work with. The big management company won't even give that person the time of day.
18
I have a few friends who own their houses and rent out rooms. This is probably nowhere near on their radar. Will they have to register their rooms for rent?
For me and many of my friends, renting rooms in houses were an easy and affordable first way to rent, not having any prior rental history after college. I'd really hate to see that option go away.
For me and many of my friends, renting rooms in houses were an easy and affordable first way to rent, not having any prior rental history after college. I'd really hate to see that option go away.
19
IMO, this is not the kind of rental reform that is most needed and it does seem like this is ultimately just going to result in less privacy for renters.
How about going after the landlords that illegally retain more deposit that they're entitled? That seems to be rampant here and the only recourse available to tenants is cost prohibitive legal action.
How about going after the landlords that illegally retain more deposit that they're entitled? That seems to be rampant here and the only recourse available to tenants is cost prohibitive legal action.
20
For a small landlord who rents out a room or a MIL, the price of doing this will be a visit from the city building inspector, and potentially thousands of dollars worth of repairs. This law is going to just wipe out the low-end of the rental market. With friends like Licata and the other "progressives," who in the working class needs enemies?!
22
This isn't a double edged sword. It's nuts. Know your rights, and if you're getting a sweet deal on a residential unit in seattle, consider yourself incredibly lucky, and spend 1/2 as much as the difference between your rent and the market rate on your own maintenance. Don't bitch about mold when it's just mildew because you haven't cleaned your windows in a year. Don't call your landlord a scumbag because he won't change the porchlight bulb or the battery in the smoke detector or clean your fucking nasty hair out of the shower drain: DIY that shit! Seriously, you don't get that for free. Ask loudly enough, and you'll get full-service landlords forced to do so by the government at the proportional direct impact of your rental price, much of which will go toward fees, which don't exactly pull hairballs out of drains.
23
As others have said, this law seems to assume landlords all own multiple units. What about rented rooms and shared spaces? It is a completely different situation. There are no "units" in the traditional sense. How are they defining "rental property" and "unit"? Is my room 1/4 of a unit? 1/3, because I have some stuff in the basement? How is that taxed? This measure is well meaning but bogus.
24
Reading the document-- rooms are "single occupancy rentals" and wil need to be registered. Unless they are in a religious house, then the Power of God ensures they are safe and clean. Why are the religious folk exempted? "Housing units in any convent, monastery, or other facility occupied exclusively
by members of a religious order or congregation; " Well, that settles it, my roommates and I are becoming a religion.
by members of a religious order or congregation; " Well, that settles it, my roommates and I are becoming a religion.
25
over at the Seattle Times, they explain how they might find unregistered units: such as going over existing utility bills, etc. This whole thing is a major clusterfuck.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2…
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2…
26
I think this law misses the mark. Do we have a problem right now with these issues? I don't know many slum lords... are we just penalizing everyone else?
I don't like this one bit.
I don't like this one bit.
27
We currently have that. So, no, apparently not.
@16, 17, 18, 23 and 24,
The legislation exempts renting rooms when the owner of the property also lives there. Or you could just continue on with your ignorant hysterics. It's up to you.
@26,
You don't personally know any slumlords? Well, obviously there's no problem then.
I've lived in a number of shitty substandard housing situations in Seattle, and I'm middle class. I also know a number of people who've had to deal with gray water leaks, black mold, missing locks on front doors, holes in the ceiling, no heat in winter; in all of those cases, their only option was to move out and risk losing their deposits because the city doesn't give enough of a shit to do anything about the many slumlords in this town.
Free advice: don't rent from Cornell & Associates.
but a complaint-based system wouldn't have worked for the most egregious situations?
We currently have that. So, no, apparently not.
@16, 17, 18, 23 and 24,
The legislation exempts renting rooms when the owner of the property also lives there. Or you could just continue on with your ignorant hysterics. It's up to you.
@26,
You don't personally know any slumlords? Well, obviously there's no problem then.
I've lived in a number of shitty substandard housing situations in Seattle, and I'm middle class. I also know a number of people who've had to deal with gray water leaks, black mold, missing locks on front doors, holes in the ceiling, no heat in winter; in all of those cases, their only option was to move out and risk losing their deposits because the city doesn't give enough of a shit to do anything about the many slumlords in this town.
Free advice: don't rent from Cornell & Associates.
28
@ 27 - nobody should have to, or need to live with any of the conditions you cite. There are already numerous laws on the books to prevent that. There are recourses, there are ways to force the "many slumlords" to comply with existing landlord/tenant laws. These existing laws are enforceable. What we don't need is legislation designed to curtail MIL's and private rentals, decrease the supply of available rentals, add bureaucracy and fees, and inrease rent levels. Not to mention the inevitable invasion of privacy a mandated inspection system will incur.
29
@28,
And those laws don't get enforced. What about that don't you understand? Even those few tenants who know their rights have only the courts to turn to. How many low-income people do you think have the time or money to take their slumlord to court?
I know my rights, and I'm enough of a bitch to slam my landlord hard whenever they try to pull any shit, and those two things are the only reason why my landlord has learned not to blow off necessary repairs. And I live in a market rate apartment, for fuck's sake.
And those laws don't get enforced. What about that don't you understand? Even those few tenants who know their rights have only the courts to turn to. How many low-income people do you think have the time or money to take their slumlord to court?
I know my rights, and I'm enough of a bitch to slam my landlord hard whenever they try to pull any shit, and those two things are the only reason why my landlord has learned not to blow off necessary repairs. And I live in a market rate apartment, for fuck's sake.
30
so what you're saying is:
a. laws already on the books don't get enforced
b. since current laws don't get enforced, let's throw some more laws at the problem.
Do you, by any chance, work for some kind of government agency?
a. laws already on the books don't get enforced
b. since current laws don't get enforced, let's throw some more laws at the problem.
Do you, by any chance, work for some kind of government agency?
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