Council tightens Seattle’s rental inspection regulations

The Seattle City Council Monday passed legislation aimed at improving the quality of life for thousands of renters citywide. The bill will tighten inspection regulations and protect the city’s 269,000 renters from poor living conditions.

“Tenants deserve safe and livable housing and landlords need clear and reasonable inspection regulations,” Council President Sally Clark said in a statement. “This legislation makes both of those things happen and has a realistic roll out plan.”

John Robert Jones was among those who spoke in favor of the legislation at Monday’s city council meeting. He said improved regulations will prevent landlords from taking advantage of tenants.

“In my community, there are so many people of different ethnic backgrounds, of so many different languages, that they don’t understand the law,” he said. “The only thing that they find out is if they complain to the landlord, the landlord evicts them and shows them the door.”

A woman who spoke on behalf of the bill Monday said she was evicted from her rental home after complaining about the living conditions.

“Because I was so tired of sleeping with my lights on because the cockroach,” she said. “This has been the most painful days of my life. I’m here to represent my Latino families, asking city council members, very humbly, to take consideration to those families out there that are living the same way that I was.”