A proposed Seattle City Council bill could cap rent late payment fees at $10 per month, with the hope of helping tenants who fall behind on rent avoid higher balances.
While renters in the city have been protected from late fees and any other fees associated with non-payment throughout the pandemic, that protection will expire this October, a year after the city ended its civil emergency.
To prevent substantial late fees in he future, a bill sponsored by Councilmember Kshama Sawant would cap late fees for rent at a flat rate of $10 per month, bringing Seattle in line with nearby Burien and Auburn, who have the same maximum fee. A proposed amendment would also prohibit notification fees, which are fees imposed on top of late fee or other notices from landlords for the act of notifying tenants.
“Nobody has the right to exploit renters and if you’re in the market to exploit renters, they should have the right to ush back,” Sawant said during the first, lengthy committee discussion of the bill on Friday.
