Tacoma, WA city council to review voter-passed landlord fairness code
TACOMA, Wash. - The Tacoma City Council is considering scaling back some protections for renters in response to the city's Landlord Fairness Code Initiative, which voters approved in 2023. The code currently protects tenants from situations such as evictions during cold weather months and from high rent hikes, while also allowing them to sue landlords who do not adhere to its regulations.
Members on the city council say their code could more closely model those in effect in Seattle. Those changes are set for discussion on Dec. 2, with a possible vote happening on Dec. 9.
Tacoma for All, the organization behind the LFCI is holding work sessions ahead of a possible vote. Organizational leaders expressed concerns that the council may not hear public testimony until after a vote on the changes, which could happen as soon as next week.
Tacoma skyline. (Bruce Englehardt // CC BY-SA 2.0)
Tyron Moore, co-director of Tacoma for All, spoke about the importance of involving tenants in the decision-making process.
What they're saying:
"Voters voted for this and now at the first possible legal moment city council is about to push it back," Moore said. "If they go forward with this without bringing tenants to the table for genuine negotiations we are considering bringing it back to voters in 2026. That's not our preferred outcome, we want to genuinely hash these things out but if city council irresponsibly rushes forward this repeal without bringing tenants to the table we may have to do exactly that."
The other side:
Tenant advocates argue that the city council has not held proper discussions with Tacoma's 100,000 renters and should delay any decision until the new mayor takes office next month.
Tacoma City Councilmember Sarah Rumbaugh
The landlord fairness code has been a significant protection for renters in Tacoma, preventing evictions during cold weather months and limiting rent increases. Some of the protections include landlord-provided relocation assistance if rent hikes exceed 5%, and protection from evictions for teachers, students, and their families.
As the council considers changes, the debate continues over balancing tenant protections with landlord interests.
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