CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
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AN ORDINANCE relating to fair housing; regulating rental housing bidding platforms; repealing a one-year prohibition on use of rental housing bidding platforms; repealing Section 7.24.090 of the Seattle Municipal Code; and amending Section 7.24.020 of the Seattle Municipal Code.
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WHEREAS, online or application-based platforms that provide landlords the ability to list rental housing units, oblige potential tenants to bid on certain lease provisions, and allow landlords their choice of tenant based on the tenant's bid and screening criteria appeared over the last several years in many housing markets, including Seattle's; and
WHEREAS, the City Council ("Council") wished to determine whether the structure and operation of new application-based and online services complied with the new and different regulatory landscape in Seattle from changes to Seattle's laws including regulating rentals, revising the housing code, and updating fair housing protections; and
WHEREAS, the Council wishes to know more about how these services function and the impact they may have on Seattle's rental housing market before allowing landlords and tenants to use them within Seattle; and
WHEREAS, the Council passed Ordinance 125551 in March 2018, prohibiting landlords and potential tenants from using rental housing bidding platforms for real property located in Seattle city limits; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 125551 also included a request for the Office of Housing to "conduct a study of the current or potential impacts rental housing bidding platforms have and could have on equitable access to Seattle's rental housing market"; and
WHEREAS, the prohibition expired on April 30, 2019; and
WHEREAS, the Council passed Ordinance 125840 in June 2019, instituting another year-long prohibition against landlords and potential tenants using rental housing bidding platforms for real property located in Seattle city li...
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