Many landlords require prospective tenants to pay for nonrefundable fees, security deposits, and last month's rent all at once and on top of first month's rent. When the average rent for a one-bedroom Seattle apartment is $1,700, these high upfront costs can be thousands of dollars - a huge financial burden for renters. According to our recent report, Seattle's Renting Crisis: A Report and Policy Recommendations, 87% of survey respondents reported these high upfront costs were a barrier to accessing housing. We need our city council members to take action to ensure people can afford to move into rentals.

The Seattle City Council is considering Move-In Fee Legislation that would require landlords to accept payment plans for nonrefundable fees, security deposit, and last month's rent. This legislation will be voted on by the full council soon. We need to ensure the council does not support any exemptions for landlords (especially since almost 20,000 rental properties in Seattle have 1-4 rental units) or any amendments that would weaken the legislation by changing the payment plans. Show the city council that you support this legislation without exemptions - send them an email!

If you want to get involved in the fight for housing justice, please contact Xochitl (So-chi) at 206-557-9456 or xochitl@washingtoncan.org