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The City of Seattle
Ordinance
Council Bill
title
An ordinance relating to unfair housing practices; adding new protections for homeowners from unwanted solicitation of residential property by establishing a Do Not Solicit List; providing an enforcement process; prescribing penalties; amending Section 14.08.020 and 14.08.190 of the Seattle Municipal Code; adding a new Section 14.08.042 to the Seattle Municipal Code; and adding reporting requirements.
body
Recitals:
City homeowners indicate that receiving excessive, unwanted solicitations to purchase their homes hinders the well-being, tranquility, and privacy of their homes.
Predatory home-buying practices target the most vulnerable in the community, and homeowners who sell in response to unsolicited offers may receive less for their home than if they had listed it on the open market.
Predatory home-buying practices can target communities of color, contributing to economic disparities, displacement, and erosion of generational wealth while also reinforcing historical patterns of racial segregation.
As the City implements changes to its Comprehensive Plan that will allow more "middle housing" types throughout the City and in formerly single-family zones, predatory home-buying practices could increase and impact residents in all areas of the City.
In 1989, New York State adopted a "Cease and Desist Zones" law. In areas that are designated as Cease and Desist zones, real estate licensees and others are prohibited from soliciting the sale, lease, or the listing for sale or lease of residential property from any owner who has filed a statement with the Secretary of State expressing the wish not to be solicited, and whose name appears on the state Cease and Desist List. The Cease and Desist designation of an area is in place for five years but can be renewed. Over the years, five Cease and Desist Zones have been esta...
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