Rent Control Legislation & Infographic

View the Rent Control Infographic

We need rent control to address Seattle's serious affordability crisis. Rents in Seattle have risen by 70% in 10 years, pushing people out of the city or into homelessness. Rent control has widespread support from Seattle's renters, homeowners, and small business owners. We already have over 12,000 signatures on our rent control petition, and 18 organizational endorsements!

Shirley Henderson, owner of Squirrel Chops cafe and hair salon says "Everyone from baristas to bus drivers should be able to affordably live in the city they work in. Small businesses are also getting displaced due to corporate developer greed. That's why we need both residential and commercial rent control." Rent control supporter Kathy Yasi says "I am a small landlord, and try to keep rents affordable. But tens of thousands of Seattle's renters are being exploited by corporate landlords. We need rent control to protect these tenants"

This bill will limit annual rent increases to the rate of inflation (roughly 2-3% per year) for all rental homes in the city, with NO corporate loopholes that would diminish the bill over time, and increasingly leave tenants unprotected.

View the Rent Control Legislation

There is a growing movement across the country for rent control, or to strengthen the rent control in cities that already have it. Movements in New York state just won a massive expansion of rent control, closing many corporate loopholes! Oregon had a statewide ban on rent control, as Washington state does now, but recently overturned that and passed statewide rent control. With a vibrant and fighting movement, we can win universal rent control with no corporate loopholes for Seattle!