Washington has a new rent control law that went into effect immediately. The law caps rent increases at the lesser of 7% plus inflation or 10%. Rent increases must be in a form with mandated language and must give the tenant at least 90 days’ notice. The notice must be served in accordance with RCW 59.12.040, which is the same statute defining how pay or vacate and similar notices are served. This statute has also been changed recently. If a landlord serves a notice that increases the rent beyond the rent cap, the tenant must provide the landlord with an […]
rent increases
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There are two bills being proposed in the Washington legislature that if enacted into law would impose strict rent controls in Washington. The proposals’ terms vary, but both would essentially peg rent increases to inflation, with a cap of seven percent. The bills are HB 1388 and HB 1389. HB 1389 has numerous provisions absent from HB 1388. Landlords could “bank” unused rent increase capacity if the landlord does not increase rent in a 12-month period. To preserve banked capacity the landlord would have to serve a statutory notice form and serve in the same formal legal manner as a […]