Renters

One local builder lays out the case for passing the City's Multifamily Tax Exemption Program 7 proposal, which would expand access to a wider pool of renters and encourage participation in the program. The Seattle City Council is set to vote today.

The Seattle City Council is set to greenlight a new iteration of the Multifamily Tax Exemption (MFTE) program with higher allowed rents and rent hikes. The program trades a property tax break for setting aside a quarter of the units with lower rents, but some advocates say the new rent structure is misaligned and will hurt tenants.

Council President Sara Nelson and Councilmember Rob Saka unexpectedly skipped a housing committee meeting Wednesday, holding up 14 appointments to the shorthanded Seattle Renters Commission. Councilmember Alexis Rinck sharply criticized the "disrespectful" move, as did several nominees.

Landlords have used ratio utility billing systems as a backdoor to jack up rents. It’s time to ban the practice in Washington State.

Here are five things Seattle leaders could be doing to lower your rent, in observance of Affordable Housing Week.

The Washington State Legislature approved a 7% to 10% cap on rent hikes Sunday, after the proposal faced a rollercoaster of obstacles over the course of the 105-day session.

Rent increases would be capped between 7% and 10% under the compromise measure approved by a conference committee Thursday night. It still needs to advance back through both chambers by Sunday night to reach the Governor's desk.

On Thursday, the Washington State Senate took the leap and approved a rent stabilization bill, but first senators gutted it with provisions that quickly earned the ire of tenant advocates. An original 7% cap on annual rent increases could instead rise to 20% or more.