The Olympia City Council will hold a public hearing on March 19 at 6 pm to receive feedback from community members on proposed amendments to OMC Chapter 5.82 relating to the rental housing code.
Members discussed potential updates to Olympia's rental housing policies at the January Land Use and Environment Committee meeting.
The committee explored efforts the city council previously undertook in November to implement a rental registry and inspection program for rental properties through an approved ordinance on the rental registry and inspection program.
The ordinance requires all rental property owners in Olympia to register their properties in a registry annually and subject units to regular health and safety inspections.
The Land Use Committee considered additional policies to complement the recently approved rental registry and inspection program.
The proposed amendments concern:
In addition, the city council will also hear public comments on other policies to consider in the future, such as regulations regarding tenant screening practices conducted by landlords.
Public comments will be made during the meeting in person and via Zoom.
Written comments may be submitted in the care of the City of Olympia Housing Program, PO Box 1967, 601 4th Ave E., Olympia, WA 98507-1967. Comments by email will also be accepted.
Written comments must be received at or before the public hearing.
Community members may call City Housing staff at 360-570-3762 for more information or assistance.
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KatAshe
I personally believe that renting residential property should be treated like any other business, I.e., licensed and inspected. Perhaps the only exception being renting out one or two bedrooms in a house that is owner occupied.
Monday, March 11 Report this
Southsoundguy
Kat, why do you believe the government should be running our lives? Have you considered that there are enforcement mechanisms that do not require government regulation?
Tuesday, March 12 Report this
JulesJames
Having been a landlord in Seattle, my experience has been 100% negative. “Required” safety items are arbitrary and often counterproductive. Such as a self closing basement door and plexiglass over windows “too near”a glass door. My repair budget became based around inspection reports, not tenant requested improvements or my own ideas. And every time I see a government imposed “ improvement” on my property, I feel less pride of ownership and more yoke of serfdom. Inspection upon complaint works. Periodic inspection sucks.
Tuesday, March 12 Report this
northbeachcomm
Many in the community want/need clean affordable housing. Many in the Olympia area have provided such housing over the decades. And yet there is now have a new list of rules, regulations, and fees to property owners who may wish to rent out properties. The City is now asking, "For a March 18, public comment date", for this issue. We have all seen how the city council ignores public comment. They listen and smile and some even agree with the public comment, but they vote 99% of the time in lockstep with each other, and it is usually for their own agenda and to disregard public comment. They are trying to "help renters". Yet this proposal will only drive rental rates higher and higher. Don't they see that? When you force expensive outside inspections onto property owners, of course the rent will rise. When you force into place rules that give less and less assurance to the property owner that they will receive their rental fees so that they can pay their mortgages, of course rental rates will rise. And of course the next step in their "march to fairness" will be rental rates dictated by the city, such as "rent control". All of this means that Olympia will lose a large group of rental housing, the "Mom and Pop" rental owners will leave this business. You will be left with Corporate owners, huge rents, expensive housing for all.
Tuesday, March 12 Report this
Dwalter951
Unfortunately these regulations too often are attempts by individuals who have never run a small business or have any idea what unintended consequences overregulation cause. Instead of assisting, these unnecessary rules simply result in investors of small rental homes to sell the property and remove the unit from the available pool just to escape intrusive government interference into the normal amicable owner-renter relationship. Second, government has no idea what new owner expenses result from these regulations and this is especially true when you impose an arbitrary number like a maximum 5% rent increase before some negative response for the rental owner occurs. It is also interesting that officials believe a regulation is required for a renter to bring in a fan for cooling. This will result in owners requiring renter’s insurance paid by the renter in order to be accepted as a qualified prospective renter. Third, when you introduce inspections, you invite an automatic distanced relationship between owner and renter when a much more congenial one was present earlier. Questions like who was responsible for failure to meet the regulations followed by higher and higher costs to comply? Fourth, these are the type of proposed regulations that further drive wedges between investors of any type and city hall. My last question would be-what exactly is the compelling interest that requires more intervention into the daily lives of small business citizens?
Wednesday, March 13 Report this
MichelleM
This will only do one thing, cause rents to skyrocket. The biggest driver of crazy rent increases is commercial rentals who are driven by money. Now Olympia is ensuring private owner rentals will disappear under burdensome regulations that corporate rentals will pass on to renters while private owners simply sell. Private owners are critical in keeping rent prices lower. The private owner is renting their home at or slightly above their mortgage as their primary concern is covering the rent and charging a little over goes back into the home to cover repairs or needed updates such as roof replacement and painting the house. The private owner is just trying to keep their home to either have it paid off by retirement or to pass it on to their children. Corporate owners are in it for profit.
I believe renters deserve protections from constant rising rates, a safe home in good repair but this is not the answer. Why should a private owner be forced to install something unnecessary that not even they would have done if the home was owner occupied? Private renters aren't restricting air conditioning units...apartments are...corporate and federal housing has long prohibited ac units.
Make a law that forces corporate owners to do right and leave mom and pop landlords do what they have long done...provide good rentals at an affordable rate...basically covering their mortgage and a bit for repairs.
Wednesday, March 13 Report this
JnNwmn
The Olympia City Council and City Staff have turned providing rental housing into a political game. The City has joined with state representatives to pass rental housing rules and possibly rent control regulations. The political actions have become headline grabbing. While the focus of the actions is to target owners of properties, the actual help for renters is very counterproductive. In Olympia for example the small time rental owner, usually referred to as a Mom and Pop rental operation, is being confronted with regulations that will add costs to the one or two units they provide. This obviously will mean an increase in monthly rental rates to cover the fees and inspections and the time to deal with the added bureaucracy. If tenants cannot be screened for former evictions then there will be an incremental statistical increase in damages that must be considered. This has happened with car insurance rates going up 20% overall. The point is that none of these regulations will reduce rents or provide more affordable housing. The result will be higher rents and and no increase in affordable housing. For a better approach to housing, the Olympia City Council and staff should look at other cities. Look at the Missoula Housing Authority in Montana. Take a look at their website. (missoulahousing.org) Here is a county with 117,000 people that is organized to provide housing. Funding opportunities are different in another state, but the focus needs to be on providing housing. Rental advocates in Olympia and the state legislature should focus on providing more affordable housing not increasing counterproductive rental regulations that will do nothing but increase rent for renters.
Saturday, March 16 Report this