A King County Superior Court judge recently struck down the city of Seattle's first-in-time rental regulation, in a decision that will likely be appealed.
Doug Trumm reports on a court decision that rolls back a relatively new renter protection in Seattle—the first-in-time rule that "required landlords to rent to the first qualified tenant to apply for an opening."
"The council exempted shared housing, backyard cottages, and granny flats from the rule, citing the risk of sexual violence possible in the landlord-tenant relationship. The rule was a part of a larger package of protections dubbed the tenants’ bill of rights," according to Trumm.
"Rental Housing Association (RHA) of Washington filed an amicus brief in support of the plaintiffs–a group of real estate professionals and landlords including CNA Apartments, Marilyn Yim, Kelly Lyles, and Beth Bylund," reports Trumm. The RHA argued that the first-in-time rule violated the free speech, due process, and property rights of landlords.
It is not the first time in recent months that Seattle's first-in-time rule has been in the news. In March 2018, the Seattle City Council placed a moratorium on rent bidding apps like Rentberry and Biddwell for potentially violating the first-in-time rule.
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