OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington state Gov. Bob Ferguson signed a bill into law Wednesday that sets limits on rent increases, making the state among the first in the nation to provide protections for tenants.

The rent stabilization bill, HB 1217 , adds Washington to states like Oregon and California that have sought new ways to curb homelessness.

Bill sponsor Sen. Emily Alvarado, a West Seattle Democrat, said the measure sets common-sense guardrails on the state’s rental-housing market “so that hardworking families and older adults don’t get unchecked excessive rent increases.”

“Housing is not a luxury. It’s a basic human need,” Alvarado said at the bill signing. “And everyone in this state deserves a stable and affordable home.”

Washington's rent-control bill made it through both houses

See Full Page