OLYMPIA, Wash.- A bill which would place a 7% annual cap on rent increases and require landlords to notify tenants of payment hikes passed the Washington State House on Feb. 13.
HB 2114, which was the subject of a lengthy debate on the floor of the House on Tuesday, is intended to improve housing stability throughout the Evergreen state.
The policy would apply to both traditional renters and mobile home park tenants. According to federal data cited in the substitute bill, more than 900,000 Washingtonians experienced rent increases over a six month period in 2023, with 75% of them experiencing an increase of over $100.
Rent stabilization has been a consistent source of disagreement in the chamber, with multiple bills proposing a cap on increases being introduced in the legislature over the past several sessions.
HB 2114 now awaits introduction in the House, and will need to overcome several additional legislative hurdles before potentially hitting the governor’s desk.
