Tacoma council passes amendment to rental housing laws despite protests

Tensions ran high Tuesday night as the Tacoma City Council approved changes to the city’s rental housing laws.

Tenant groups rallied outside City Hall, calling the amendments devastating.

Tacoma council approves controversial changes

Ordinance 29086 makes several changes to tenant protections. First, it shortens the cold-weather eviction ban, moving it from November 1 through April 1 to November 15 through March 15. It also raises late rent fees and exempts certain affordable housing providers, including the Tacoma Housing Authority, from these requirements.

“Access to housing is at stake, that is why the Council is taking action now,” Tacoma City Councilmember Sarah Rumbaugh said at the meeting. “The changes we’re considering tonight are focused, targeted actions backed up by data.”

The City of Tacoma explained in a news release that the council used data from the Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium. It showed the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative drained low-income housing providers’ resources and budgets and increased debt for tenants, which would hinder their ability to secure housing after eviction.

“Tacoma’s affordable housing providers are committed to the mission of providing safe and sustainable housing for our city’s most vulnerable populations,” Amanda DeShazo, Executive Director of the Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium, stated via the release.

The amendment to the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative orders landlords who raise rent more than 5% in a year to provide relocation assistance if requested.

“I appreciate all the effort that has gone into the review of the Landlord Fairness Code Initiative, and Council Member Rumbaugh’s commitment to an inclusive and transparent process over the course of the year,” At-large Tacoma City Councilmember Olgy Diaz stated via the release. “Through authentic outreach and listening to community, we landed in a better place for tenants and a better place for affordable housing providers.”

The new rules take effect January 1, 2026.

Contributing: Katrina Guishard, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest