Rent Control is Dead for Now...

Greetings WBPA Members and Friends,

You may have already heard the good news, but let me tell you how pleased the Washington Business Properties Association is that this year's rent control legislation is dead.

Thanks to our members and advocacy team, we were able to educate and support key lawmakers on this tough policy decision. The forces that wanted to impose rent control in Washington were highly organized, well-funded, and aggressive, but common sense has prevailed for now.

Another noteworthy and welcomed casualty of the latest legislative deadline was House Bill 2270, which is aimed at creating a state Department of Housing. The multimillion-dollar consultant-led study would have laid the groundwork for this 'advocacy' agency to further the stranglehold of bad housing policy in the state.

Make no mistake, they're regrouping, testing the waters, and will be back next session. We're also looking at the possibility that they'll attempt to put a rent control initiative on the ballot. We need your continued support to keep up this important work. Please consider a contribution to the WBPA's various efforts by donating here.

With just 2 weeks left in the legislative session, there are still proposals hanging out there that could be detrimental to our commercial, retail, and residential real estate partners.

It appears that the natural gas ban, although amended, is still alive. It could come for a vote in the Senate at any time. The state's builders recently released information on what a ban on natural gas could cost the 800,000 residential customers who rely on it. You can read more here.

Our team will be working hard in the coming days to ensure our concerns are heard in final policy decisions and budgets. We are standing firm to stop efforts to levy more and higher taxes like the real estate excise tax or a transfer tax. It's not over until the final gavel falls on March 7.