SPOKANE, Wash. – The Spokane City Council is preparing to make changes to an ordinance concerning landlords and rental property owners. The amended regulations are slated for discussion at a meeting tomorrow night, and they are not without controversy.
The original ordinance, passed last year, mandates that landlords and rental owners obtain a business license and register with the city. The council now aims to amend this ordinance to boost compliance.
Kathleen Nichols, owner of River City Management in Spokane, expressed frustration with the proposed updates. She said, “Why are they picking on landlords and property owners? It’s strictly a revenue stream to try to generate money for the city of Spokane.” She also mentioned that while professional management companies might not be affected, the changes could hurt smaller landlords and impact tenants by leading to rent increases.
As per the current regulations, landlords must pay $15 per rental unit. Failure to register would prevent landlords from raising rent or evicting tenants.
Nichols questioned the practicality of these requirements, asking, “And now for example, they have a tenant that hasn’t paid their rent for three months, and they’re honestly going to not be able to evict a tenant because they haven’t paid the city $15. I think that’s kind of silly.”
Not everyone views the potential revisions as problematic. Terri Anderson, director for the Spokane Tenants Union, expressed confusion about the opposition from some landlords. “We want safe neighborhoods, we want safe rental housing. I believe the landlords want safe rental housing and so that’s why I’m kind of surprised that they’re not joining us to support this ordinance,” Anderson stated.
Renters in Spokane echoed the call for more regulation, emphasizing safety. One renter said, “Any landlord that’s not willing to register to get a business license or register makes me wonder what they are hiding.”
Those who support the ordinance view it as a way to regulate the renter-landlord relationship and ensure safety standards are maintained. However, some landlords believe it interferes too much with their properties. One landlord said, “Someone shouldn’t be able to come into someone’s home and tell them how to live.”
The vote on the amendment could take place at the city council meeting, where both renters and landlords will have an opportunity to voice their opinions.
