KING COUNTY, Wash. — The King County Council is taking action to address rising rent prices by banning the use of rent fixing software.
The council approved the ban on Tuesday night, hoping to prevent collusion among large corporate landlords who skyrocket rent prices.
Council members say they want to get this ban off the ground quickly, and this could happen as soon as next summer. The ban is intended to mandate and enforce rent prices for apartment buildings across the county.
The ban aims to ensure renters can find and keep an affordable place to live. King County is the 11th jurisdiction across the country to pass this ban. The city of Seattle passed the same legislation over the summer.
Council member Teresa Mosqueda said they used the blueprint of Seattle’s ban to get this legislation off the ground. Mosqueda said this legislation will create accountability for renters by allowing them to sue landlords for $7,500 per violation, plus actual damages and attorney fees.
The council says they’re preparing an enforcement study that will be due in July that will identify the most effective options for monitoring and enforcement of this law.
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