Living in Redmond

This page contains housing information and resources which will help you find (and stay in) your home. This includes services which are provided by organizations external to the City of Redmond, like A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH).

Tenant Protections

Council Passes New Tenant Protections

On July 19, 2022, Redmond City Council adopted Ordinance No. 3091, establishing new tenant protections. This action created a new chapter 9.54 of the Redmond Municipal Code to Adopted Tenant Protections, effective on July 30. The ordinance increases notification for rent increases, caps late fees, caps move-in fees and deposits, authorizes tenant payment plans, and provides for severability, including establishing an effective date.

What has changed? 

  1. Landlords are required in most cases to provide a minimum of 120 days written notice of rent increases greater than 3 percent (3%)
  2. Landlords are required in most cases to provide a minimum of 180 days written notice of rent increases greater than 10 percent (10%)
  3. Established a cap on fees for late rental payments of 1.5 percent (1.5%) of a tenant’s monthly rent 
  4. Established a cap in most cases on move-in fees and security deposits of no more than one month’s rent and allow tenants to pay in installments
  5. Landlords may ask an applicant for a social security number, but if it is not provided, a landlord cannot use that as a cause for declining the tenant.

When does it go into effect?

The effective date will be July 30, 2022.

Where can I review the ordinance language? 

Ordinance 3091AM is online. 

Background

In April 2022, A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) requested the Mayors and City Councils of ARCH member jurisdictions, including Redmond, to consider a set of tenant protections to address the economic impacts of rent increases that are anticipated in our region. This was in response to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recent release of new area median income (AMI) tables that will increase the basis by which rents are calculated for affordable housing programs in the region, which shows possible rent increase for low-income tenants of up to 16 percent. The City continues to pursue longer-term strategies to address the shortage of affordable housing consistent with the recommendations contained within the Housing Action Plan (HAP). However, there were also short-term actions in the HAP that included advocacy for state-level eviction reforms. Passing this ordinance supports the Council’s high priority goals of identifying increased tenant protections and resources for renters. Aligning the Redmond ordinance with the King County ordinance creates consistency between the two jurisdictions with the greatest supply of income restricted housing in the ARCH member jurisdictions. 

How will the ordinance be enforced? 

Violations of Chapter 9.54 RMC may subject a landlord to liability if a tenant successfully pursues a private right of action against the landlord. Egregious violations of the chapter may be enforceable as a misdemeanor.

How does this impact short term rentals?

Short term rental uses of less than 30 days that are governed pursuant to the terms of Chapter 64.37 RCW are not subject to the tenant protection provisions of Chapter 9.54 RMC.  Leases governed by the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act contained in Chapter 59.18 RCW are subject to the tenant protection provisions of this chapter unless tenant remedies have been waived pursuant to the terms of RMC 9.54.080.

What’s next?

Redmond will continue the conversation regarding housing stability as part of Redmond 2050 project, track the effects of any tenant protections that are adopted, and continue to solicit feedback from stakeholders including OneRedmond Government Affairs, the Rental Housing Association of Washington, developers of affordable housing projects, renters, and others.

Where can I get help?

The City has contracted with Eastside Legal Assistance Program to provide eviction prevention assistance for Redmond residents at risk of losing their housing. Click here for more information.

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Help WITH HOUSING

There are programs and organizations in our region to help you with housing. Please review the information below and in this housing stability document.

ARCH

ARCH is the first organization you should contact to find affordable housing units in east King County member jurisdictions, such as Redmond.

A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH) is a local organization dedicated to increasing the supply of housing for low- and moderate-income families. 

ARCH maintains lists of both rental and ownership homes that are available to moderate income households (those earning 80% or less of the King County Median Income). For more information, contact ARCH at 425-861-3677.

ARCH is a partnership of King County and 15 East King County cities who have joined together to assist with preserving and increasing the supply of housing for low- and moderate-income households in the region. They also administer the City's Housing Trust Fund which helps provide funding assistance to local non-profit housing providers, for preservation and construction of affordable housing throughout Redmond and East King County. The City of Redmond provides funding each year to ARCH.

ARCH Home Buying Assistance Program

Having enough money to buy a home can be a big obstacle. The City of Redmond and other King County ARCH cities have partnered with the Washington State Housing Finance Commission to offer the ARCH East King County Down Payment Assistance Loan Program to make owning your own home or condominium easier for East King County home buyers.

More information on this program, Commission sponsored homebuyer education seminars, and a listing of loan officers who have experience with these loans, is available on the Commission's website or by phone at 206-464-7139. Visit the ARCH website to learn more about its homebuyer program.

Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King County is acclaimed for their sweat-equity programs. Contact their offices at 206-453-2950 for qualifying information.

Housing Justice Project

The King County Bar Association's Housing Justice Project provides free legal assistance to renters facing eviction in King County. The organization provides individuals with access to lawyers and other professionals who can help with eviction challenges. Interpretation services are available.

King County Housing Authority Search

My Housing Search is a free resource to help users find a home anywhere in King County. Users can search using a variety of criteria, such as proximity to schools, and listings can be sorted by rent amount, ZIP Code, date available and other important factors. Property owners and managers can post apartments or homes for rent any time, which means that the list is always current. In addition to the website, those searching for housing can access the multilingual call center.

Redmond Hopelink 

Hopelink has served homeless and low-income families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities in King and Snohomish counties; providing stability and helping people gain the skills and knowledge they need to exit poverty for good. If you are a Redmond resident and are experiencing a short-term financial crisis due to unexpected expenses, Hopelink may be able to help you pay one month's rent. In addition to preventing eviction, Hopelink's Financial Assistance program may be able to help with move-in costs.

King County Housing Repair Program

The King County Housing Repair Program provides funding for a variety of home and rental property repairs and improvements. Funds are available to qualifying households for rental rehabilitation, handicap access modification, and improvements in safety and energy efficiency.

Washington Homeownership Resource Center

Washington Homeownership Resource Center is a statewide nonprofit connecting those in search of ownership housing opportunities with the resources they need to achieve it.

Washington State Housing Finance Commission 

Washington State Housing Finance Commission is a statewide publicly accountable, self-supporting team, dedicated to increasing housing access and affordability and to expanding the availability of quality community services for the people of Washington. The Commission provides a variety of services to help people secure housing.

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HUMAN SERVICES

City of Redmond Human Services Division

The City of Redmond has staff dedicated to supporting community members in a variety of ways that can help increase housing security. For a full list of the many ways that Human Services may be able to help, please visit the Human Services page.

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