SPOKANE, Wash. –Time is up for landlords in Spokane to comply with a city law that requires them to register their properties or face the consequences.
On October 14, Spokane City Council voted to restrict rent hikes and evictions from unlicensed landlords.
The vote comes over a year-and-a-half after the law was originally passed in 2023.
If they aren’t in compliance with the law, landlords will be unable to raise rents or evict tenants.
Sean Flynn, Executive Director of the Rental Housing Association of Washington, is not in favor of the law.
“Politically, I think it was way too much, way too soon. I think if they really wanted compliance, there were better ways of doing it,” said Flynn.
He said many smaller landlords have struggled to figure out how to register and may not even know about the ordinance until they attempt an eviction and find it is impossible.
“It’s cumbersome. I think that a lot of folks, our members, had a lot of trouble registering… for folks who are less tech-savvy,” said Flynn.
The city initially passed the law to improve communication with landlords, collect up-to-date information on properties and be able to intervene quickly when there are tenant-landlord issues.
Some tenants in Spokane have expressed their support for the law.
“Not only does it protect renters from unscrupulous landlords, it also protects honest and fair landlords who want to do the right thing for their tenants,” said George Taylor who lives in an apartment in downtown Spokane.
The Northwest Fair Housing Alliance also supports the ordinance.
“To retain and attract people to live in Spokane, a growing urban center, the City should be able to ensure that a rental property that is offered to tenants is safe and meets some standard habitability requirements,” said the Alliance.
Flynn, however, said he is worried the law will bring down the number of rentals in the city.
“When regulations become overly cumbersome and strip away housing providers’ rights to manage their property, they leave,” he said.
It costs landlords $15 per unit to register with the city, with exceptions available for some low income housing.
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