PASS THE REDMOND RENTERS BILL OF RIGHTS!
Everyone in Redmond deserves stability and fairness–and that includes renters who are now approaching 2 / 3 of Redmond households.
Truth in Renting: Limit Junk Fees: Rents, fees, and all charges should be transparent, understandable, and fair! That includes utility charges billed by property management or their third party billing app.
Renters Deserve Stability: Everyone should be able to plant roots. But when leases end, renters have no right to continue their tenancy (even with a rent increase) though they’re paying rent on time, following rules, and caring for the property. Month-to-month renters have this right under Washington’s “just cause eviction law.” Seattle renters on leases have this right under Seattle’s “First Right of Refusal” ordinance, requiring landlords to offer continued tenancy to the existing renter before new applicants, except for just causes specific in the law.
Ban Retaliation: Everyone should be able to use their legal rights, ask for repairs, negotiate rents, speak out publicly, ask our elected officials to advocate for us, etc without fear of landlord retaliation.
Stop Rent Traps & Let Renters Move When Faced With Significant Rent Increases: Renters on month-to-month agreements can move out with 20 days notice. But when Redmond renters on leases get a 120 days rent increase notice (of increases from 3% to 10%), they’re often trapped and cannot move. If they need to move to a less expensive home, it’s often impossible to line up a move out date with a move in date, so they’re faced with paying rent to two landlords simultaneously. Plus, there’s often penalties and fees to pay in order to move out, so they’re trapped into remaining and paying any rent increase. When rent goes up more than 3%, those on leases should be able to move out with 20 days notice, like month-to-month renters, with no fees or fines. Because they’re often trapped, property managements commonly offer lower rents to entice newcomers than they do for renewals by loyal existing renters. The new renters later become trapped into paying exorbitant rent increases in a continuous cycle.
The City of Redmond should assist renters with information, advice, and advocacy. Redmond’s renter majority pays property taxes in rent and sales tax. Renters shouldn’t just be ATMs for the City and for the large companies that own most of Redmond’s housing. The City should even the playing field by providing a renter rights website, & requiring the web address to be visibly posted in apartment buildings & provided to renters. The City also needs to hire or contract with staff to inform, advise & advocate for renters. (This is not a “Housing Navigator” to help people find housing, which is already provided by local organizations.)
REDMOND RENTERS BILL OF RIGHTS 