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A bill to cap residential rent increases across Washington will need revisions to pass in the state Senate, according to the chamber’s top Democrat.
“There’s still going to be more work to do to get to a bill that will have majority support,” Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said during a press conference on Thursday.
House Bill 1217 would prohibit landlords from raising a residential tenant’s rent more than 7% in any 12-month period or by any amount during the first year after the tenancy begins.
Amendments in the House to remove restrictions on move-in fees and late fees will help the bill’s prospects in the Senate, Pedersen said, predicting there will ultimately be enough support to pass it.
Pedersen suggested other changes that could help satisfy members who are now skeptical. These could include adjusting the 7% level of the cap or lengthening an exemption period from the cap for new construction that is now set at 12 years.
He also raised the possibility of allowing landlords to “bank” rent increase capacity for future years. In other words, they could forgo some or all of the 7% increase in one year, but then add the leftover amount to a future rent hike if they are, for example, dealing with a major repair.
“I think we will have the votes to pass rent stabilization this year,” Pedersen said, “but there are a number of dials within that policy that I think we have members interested in adjusting.”
At least 18 Democrats in the Senate are backing the bill, he noted. Support from seven of the 12 remaining members of the caucus would be needed to pass it, assuming no Republican votes in favor.
“You need to find seven and figure out what, if any, changes they would like to see,” Pedersen said. “That will be a significant focus of our efforts here over the next few weeks.”
The bill is one of the highest-profile — and controversial — policy proposals in play in Olympia this year. It passed in the House earlier this week on a 53-42 vote with five Democrats joining 37 Republicans in opposition. Republican support is expected to be nil in the Senate as well.
Last year, a similar bill lapsed in the Senate after clearing the House. But the departure of moderate Democrats has given supporters hope it could pass this year.