Changes Brewing in the City of Destiny: Tacoma Looks to Change Rental Policies

We are now past the 2025 election and will look forward to engaging all of the successful candidates to advocate for rental housing policy all around the state. For that information, check out our election recap article. I want to bring everyone back to November of 2023 and the passage of Measure 1 in Tacoma. The same Measure 1 that gave Tacoma the most onerous and restrictive rental housing policy in the entire state even more so than Seattle. For those readers who don’t operate housing in Tacoma or have forgotten the travesty that was Measure 1 that passed by just 361 votes, let me show the lowlights:

• Caps late fees at $10 a month
• Must give six months’ notice to raise rent
• Tiered relocation assistant dependent on percentage of rent increase
• Winter and school year eviction regardless of non-payment of rent

This measure was passed by a vote in Tacoma by, as I mentioned above, just 361 votes. When a measure is passed by a vote of the people the city council is prohibited from making any changes or additions for two years from the date of enactment. That date is fast approaching in the first weeks of December 2025.

Never fear, Tacoma City Council members understand this policy has been a tremendous issue, especially for our membership made up of small rental housing providers. On October 23rd legislation was introduced by District 2 Council Member Sarah Rumbaugh in the Community Vitality and Safety Committee. Here are some of the changes she hopes to make:

• Raise late fee cap from $10 to $75
• Change dates on the wintertime eviction ban from November–April to December–March
• Specifies exceptions to the ban, especially with relation to drug charges and property destruction
• Deferring to the state law on rental increase notice timeline and requirements (90-days)
• Possible complete exemption for housing providers who have interest in less than 4 properties

Now I want to make a note that these are the items currently being proposed by Councilmember Rumbaugh, but also discussed in the committee meeting were possible further steps to be taken in the future including:

• Removing the ceiling on move-in costs and fees as tenants are being screened out
• Review of all allowable fees
• Expand allowable timeline for school year evictions to something longer than 75 days
• Eviction bans only apply to tenants making 80% AMI or less

In the memorandum delivered to the committee by Rumbaugh and Senior Council Policy Analyst Lynda Foster, they discuss that the measure held up as trying to protect tenants and work with housing providers is doing the exact opposite. Rumbaugh met with many stakeholders in the affordable housing field, RHAWA, Tacoma for All, and the Pierce County Sheriff’s office and the main message that came from these meetings was:

“When asked if the measure succeeded at its goal to protect families and reduce homelessness, there was shared agreement that allowing people to stay longer in units without paying rent had the short-term benefit of reducing short-term homelessness when tenants are unable to pay rent. However, there was consistent uncertainty about long-term benefits. Tenants who are being evicted are leaving their housing with larger amounts of debt and the impact of this financial burden could have long-term consequences on tenants’ ability to gain housing and be financially stable.

When asked if the measure succeeded at its goal to balance the needs of the landlord, tenant, and Tacoma while creating a partnership to ensure safe, healthy, and thriving rental housing in Tacoma key themes emerged:

The LFCI is destabilizing the budget of low-income housing providers.

There has been an increase to the amount of damage to units.

Landlords are screening tenants more thoroughly, reducing access to the most at-need tenants and leaving units unoccupied longer between tenants. Small “mom and pop” landlords are disproportionately burdened by the fiscal impacts of rent being unpaid for long stretches of time.”

I believe this spells out in black and white what RHAWA and our membership warned the council and Tacoma voters would happen back in 2023. The struggles of the affordable housing providers also carry through all over the region. For some additional insight into these issues check out the RHAWA YouTube channel for our in-depth video on The Addison Apartments in Seattle.

The bottom line is, changes need to be made with Measure 1, and we are glad to see the Tacoma City Council is taking this in hand with the attention and expediency it deserves.

Stay tuned to RHAWA for all updates on the Measure 1 changes and stay tuned for how you can get involved and make your voice heard.