WA AG forces landlords to refund illegal rent hikes

Washington’s Attorney General, Nick Brown, is zeroing in on landlords who’ve raised rent beyond what the state law allows.

It’s his enforcement since the new rent stabilization law went into effect. It applies to both residential and manufactured/mobile home communities.

Brown’s office says he’s entered into eight resolutions with landlords of properties in Bothell, Edmonds, Issaquah, Kennewick, Lakewood, Montesano, Port Angeles, Puyallup, Ridgefield, Royal City, University Place, Vancouver, and Yakima.

That means they’ve agreed to take back any notices they’ve sent to tenants about increasing rent and refund any excess money that tenants paid. “Our office will do all it can to address the housing challenges impacting Washingtonians across the state,” Brown said. “Protecting tenants under this new law is one piece of the work we’re doing to ensure more people have safe, affordable places to live.”

More than 250 households are covered by the resolutions.

Tenants who believe their landlord may have violated the law can file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office. Tenants may also take steps to protect their rights, including by bringing a legal action to enforce the law.

You can read more about the new law, House Bill 1217, here.