On Oct. 24, Burien became the latest city to pass new rental protections. Similar to Kirkland’s new protections, Burien’s City Council voted to:
- Require 120 days’ notice for rent increases of more than 3% and 180 days’ notice for rent increases of more than 10%
- Cap move-in fees to the equivalent of one month’s rent
Burien also voted to:
- Cap late fees at $10
- Prevent social security numbers from being required to apply for a rental home
- Allow renters on a fixed income to adjust their rent due date
- Enforce Just Cause protections regardless of lease type, ensuring all renters are protected from eviction or lease termination without good reason
- Require landlords to pay relocation assistance should a tenant be unable to pay rent and move due to a rent increase of more than 10%
- Prohibit rent increases for uninhabitable units
Burien follows Issaquah, Kirkland, Kenmore, and Redmond in passing greater protections for renters. Cities are recognizing that rental protections are important in protecting low-income tenants. For many residents, rent makes up a disproportionate percentage of their income. The high cost of rental deposits and punitive late fees also impact marginalized renters the most.
Burien has also added a few further protections that increase accessibility and stability for low-income tenants: Requiring landlords to pay relocation assistance and enforcing Just Cause protections without loopholes, which helps prevent the negative effects of eviction. Burien’s new protections also allow renters on a fixed income to adjust their rent due-date, which helps renters who rely on social security or other fixed income (like Supplemental Security Income) to pay their rent.
Learn more about the new protections in Burien.
