Seattle passed a law in 2017 requiring landlords to accept the first financially qualified rental applicant who applies. The law took away any discretion on the part of the landlord, required the landlord to keep detailed records of when rental inquiries were received, and threatened landlords with hefty penalties for failing to comply. The law is known as the Fist-in-Time Ordinance. A King County Superior Court judge ruled the Fist-in-Time Ordinance unconstitutional. The case is now pending with the state Supreme Court. The City has filed a brief. The landlords brief is due soon. Oral argument has yet to be […]
Monthly Archives: September 2018
2 posts
The City of Seattle has declared war on landlords in a misguided effort to address the affordable housing issue. The City of Seattle has banned landlords from considering criminal history, required landlords to accept the first financially qualified applicant with no discretion, capped security deposits and other legitimate move-in charges, and forced landlords to accept security deposits and other legitimate move-in charges in installments. Seattle passed laws requiring landlords to accept essentially all applicants regardless of criminal history (the “Fair Housing Ordinance”). A rental industry association filed a lawsuit in King County Superior Court challenging the Fair Housing Ordinance. The […]