SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL - Record No: CB 120541

• Record No: CB 120541
• Version: 3
• Council Bill No: CB 120541
• Type: Ordinance (Ord)
• Status: Passed
• Current Controlling Legislative Body: City Clerk
• On agenda: 4/18/2023
• Ordinance No: Ord 126803
• Title: AN ORDINANCE relating to residential tenancy; limiting the amount of fees charged for late payment of rent and for notices issued to tenants; and adding a new Section 7.24.034 to the Seattle Municipal Code.
• Sponsors: Kshama Sawant
• Supporting documents: 1. Summary and Fiscal Note v2, 2. Summary and Fiscal Note v1, 3. FAQ - Cap Late Fees for Overdue Rent, 4. Renter Late Fee Stories, 5. Late Fees Letter from the Stay Housed Stay Healthy Coalition, 6. Central Staff Memo, 7. Proposed Amendment 1, 8. Proposed Amendment A, 9. Signed Ordinance 126803, 10. Affidavit of Publication
• Related files: CB 120530

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result
5/1/2023	3	City Clerk	attested by City Clerk
5/1/2023	3	Mayor	returned
5/1/2023	3	Mayor	returned unsigned
4/21/2023	3	City Clerk	submitted for Mayor's signature
4/18/2023	2	City Council	passed as amended	Pass
4/7/2023	1	Sustainability and Renters' Rights Committee	pass as amended	Pass
4/4/2023	1	City Council	referred
3/31/2023	1	Council President's Office	referred
3/31/2023	1	City Clerk	sent for review

CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to residential tenancy; limiting the amount of fees charged for late payment of rent and for notices issued to tenants; and adding a new Section 7.24.034 to the Seattle Municipal Code.
body
WHEREAS, over the past several years, rents in Seattle and King County have increased, and vacancies for affordable housing are at low levels, making it difficult for tenants, especially those with low incomes, to locate affordable rental housing; and
WHEREAS, the King County Regional Affordable Housing Task Force issued its Final Report and Recommendations for King County, December 2018 (rev. March 2019) ("Affordable Housing Task Force Final Report"), which identifies that renting rather than owning a home increases the chances of being severely cost burdened, and recognizes an existing affordable housing crisis in King County; and
WHEREAS, the Affordable Housing Task Force Final Report includes a regional plan with goals, strategies, and a five-year action plan to address the affordable housing crisis, and Goal 4 of the action plan is to "[p]reserve access to affordable homes for renters by supporting tenant protections to increase housing stability and reduce risk of homelessness"; and
WHEREAS, a report by the Seattle Women's Commission and the Housing Justice Project of the King County Bar Association, entitled Losing Home: The Human Cost of Eviction in Seattle (Sept. 2018) ("Losing Home Report") identifies that: (1) national research shows eviction is one of the leading cause of homelessness; (2) research data show that 51.7 percent of tenants evicted were people of color; (3) tenants face steep financial costs resulting from eviction; and (4) 86.5 percent of eviction filings were for nonpayment of rent and, of these, 52 percent were for one month or less; and
WHEREAS, the Losing Home Report states that "[b]ecause evictions disproportionately impact marginalized commu...