Senate Housing Committee hears hours of public testimony on rent‑stabilization bill SB 5222

The Washington State Senate Housing Committee on Jan. 22 heard hours of public testimony on Senate Bill 5222, a package of tenant protections sponsored by Senator Trudeau that would cap most rent increases at 7% in any 12‑month period and add new notice, disclosure and enforcement requirements.

Senator Trudeau, the bill sponsor, told the committee the measure is intended to "inject stability and predictability for tenants feeling squeezed by unstable and untenable market" and called the bill “a guide to make rental increases fair and predictable.”

The measure would with limited exemptions: cap increases at 7% for tenants covered by the Residential Landlord‑Tenant Act and the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord‑Tenant Act; require annual written notice in a specified format and a 180‑day notice for increases of 3% or more; direct the Department of Commerce to create an online landlord resource center and commission a social‑vulnerability assessment of rent‑stabilization impacts; create a private right of action for tenants; and authorize the Attorney General to enforce renter protections under the Consumer Protection Act. Committee staff, Bill Fosbury, summarized those components for members.

Why it matters

Supporters said the bill would blunt rapidly rising housing costs, reduce displacement and protect people on…