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Senate committee hears bill to let renters install portable cooling during heat events
Summary
Lawmakers heard testimony on SB 6,200, which would bar landlords from broadly prohibiting tenants from installing portable cooling devices unless specific safety, code, or electrical exceptions apply; public health groups and tenant advocates urged passage, while property managers warned about window‑unit safety and insurance issues.
The Senate Housing Committee heard testimony Jan. 23 on SB 6,200, a bill that would give renters the right to install portable cooling devices in their homes except where installation would violate building or safety rules or overwhelm electrical capacity.
Senator Slatter, the bill's prime sponsor, told the committee the measure is a narrow public‑health response to rising heat risks. “Extreme heat is not just a nuisance. It's a mass casualty health emergency now,” she said, citing the 2021 heat dome and arguing that many deaths occurred inside homes without adequate cooling.
The bill amends standards under the Residential Landlord‑Tenant Act (RLTA) and the Manufactured/Mobile Home Landlord‑Tenant Act (MHLTA) by preventing landlords from forbidding…
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