A lease is a private contract between the landlord on one hand and the tenant on the other hand.

There isn't a line on the contract for the City of Seattle to sign. The city is not party to the contract. If there is a dispute, that is why we have the courts...and now the tenants have free lawyers. Wish I had a free attorney paid for by the city/state whenever I had an issue.

If the City of Seattle wishes to "get in on the game", then let the city be a "co-signer" for the tenant and guarantee the rent.

OK, Rich. Let's say you live in a small apartment building with a shared laundry room and yard - making it generally difficult to avoid contact with the other tenants. Would you be comfortable living next door to a person who was convicted of rape at 18? at 21? at 24? What if that offense happened, say, 2 years ago? Are you really sure that they have changed and they are not someone to be avoided? How about someone with a history of assaults? Hate crimes? Maybe they went on a gay-bashing spree?

Do you REALLY not see how some landlords might want to keep that kind of person off their premises? You realize you are saying landlords should not be able to exclude, for example, the very fine people who killed Ahmaud Arebery, don't you?

Sure, most people with records are not like that. Most of them were put up on drug offenses. Might be an embezzler or two. But a certain fraction of people are not good to be around. I would argue that once someone has proven that they are a danger to others, perhaps they have forfeited their right to just move in anywhere they like.