Seattle City Council Approves Ban On Rental ‘Junk Fees,’ New Pricing Rules

Seattle renters will get new protections against pet rent, package fees and other housing charges beginning next year under legislation unanimously approved by the Seattle City Council that will also require landlords to disclose the full monthly cost of renting a unit.

The council approved the legislation Tuesday on an 8-0 vote, advancing a proposal developed by Mayor Katie B. Wilson in collaboration with Councilmember Dionne Foster. Councilmember Maritza Rivera did not vote.

The new requirements will apply to rental agreements and renewals entered into after July 1, 2027.

Under the legislation, landlords will be required to disclose rent, utilities, mandatory and optional fees, discounts or concessions and the estimated total monthly cost of a rental before a tenant signs a lease.

The measure also restricts the types of fees landlords can charge. Among those prohibited are fees for keeping a pet, except for an allowable pet damage deposit; receiving or collecting packages and mail; accessing common areas under ordinary circumstances; using in-unit appliances or other features of a dwelling; and paying rent by personal check, money order, cashier’s check or automated clearing house transfer.

“I’m happy to celebrate the elimination of junk fees, creating greater transparency and fairness in the market,” Wilson said. “This is a major step forward in making Seattle an affordable city for working families and their pets. I am grateful to Councilmember Foster and her team for her partnership on this important step forward for renters.”

The legislation targets a practice city officials say can make the advertised price of an apartment substantially different from what a renter ultimately pays.

According to findings included in the ordinance, renters may not learn about all of the fees associated with a unit until they are preparing to sign a lease — potentially after spending weeks searching for housing and paying nonrefundable application or move-in fees. At that point, they can face the choice of accepting costs they did not anticipate or walking away after investing time and money in the rental process.

The ordinance cites a 2023 National Consumer Law Center study that found 89% of renters paid at least one fee in addition to rent.

The added costs can be significant. A 2025 Urban Institute study cited in the legislation found rental fees added between 10% and 30% to renters’ total monthly payments. Using an average Seattle monthly rent of $2,038 cited in the ordinance, that would amount to roughly $203 to $609 a month in additional fees.

Those expenses come as thousands of Seattle households already devote a significant share of their income to housing. According to the city’s 2025 Comprehensive Plan, as cited in the ordinance, 38,365 renter households are cost-burdened, spending between 30% and 50% of their income on housing. Another 33,795 renter households are severely cost-burdened, spending more than half their income on housing.

The legislation also frames rental fees as an equity issue.

Citing Zillow’s 2025 Consumer Housing Trends Report, the ordinance says renters of color were more likely to report paying at least one fee than white renters, 67% compared with 63%. Among AAPI renters, the figure was 74%, while 66% of Hispanic renters reported paying at least one fee. Younger renters were also more likely to report such charges, with 82% of renters ages 18 to 29 saying they paid at least one fee.

The ordinance further cites a 2020 U.S. Government Accountability Office analysis that found a $100 increase in median rent was associated with a 9% increase in homelessness. The finding describes an association between rent increases and homelessness rather than establishing that higher rents alone caused the increase.

Wilson, who is also a renter, said her administration worked directly with renters while developing the proposal and heard concerns about unexpected and rising fees increasing the actual cost of housing.

“I’m grateful for the close partnership of Councilmember Dionne Foster, City Attorney Erika Evans, the Stay Housed, Stay Healthy coalition, labor partners including SEIU 6, UAW 4121, Teamsters 117, UFCW 3000, and all the community partners who were instrumental in advancing these renter protections,” Wilson said.

Foster, chair of the council’s Housing, Arts and Civil Rights Committee, led the legislation through the council.

“This important legislation advances consumer protections for renters in our city by making Seattle’s rental market more transparent and affordable,” Foster said. “We know that transparency creates a better housing market. This legislation gives renters the ability to compare rental options based on their actual cost, not an artificially low advertised price followed by a list of surprise charges. I want to thank the Mayor and her team for advancing this vital work.”

The city’s argument extends beyond individual fees. The ordinance describes a market in which landlords who voluntarily advertise an all-in rental price can appear more expensive than competitors that advertise a lower base rent and disclose additional charges later.

Citing research by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, the ordinance argues there is little market incentive for individual housing providers to move to all-in pricing on their own because doing so can put them at a competitive disadvantage. City officials contend that requiring the same disclosures across the rental market will allow prospective tenants to make more meaningful comparisons.

The legislation does not eliminate all fees.

Landlords will still be allowed to charge certain costs authorized under city or state law, including security deposits, screening fees, late-rent fees and pet damage deposits.

They may also charge limited fees for replacing a key when the tenant is at fault, responding to certain tenant lockouts and payments returned for insufficient funds. Charges may also be permitted for tenant-caused property damage and other circumstances allowed under state law.

Optional goods and services can carry fees under certain conditions, but tenants must affirmatively opt in to receive them and must be allowed to opt out without penalty or cost. When a landlord contracts with a third party to provide an optional service, the fee generally cannot exceed the landlord’s actual cost.

Bundled optional services, such as a technology package combining cable and internet, must also be offered separately so tenants are not required to purchase the entire bundle.

One of the most visible changes for renters will occur before a lease is signed.

Rental advertisements, listings and applications will have to disclose applicable costs. Before the first page of a rental agreement, landlords will also have to provide a fee disclosure, limited to two pages, detailing the monthly rent, discounts or concessions, utilities, mandatory and optional fees and the estimated total monthly cost.

For variable fees and utilities, landlords generally will have to disclose the average monthly amount over the previous 12 months. If that information is unavailable, such as in a newly constructed building, the landlord will have to provide an estimate and clearly identify it as such.

The legislation also gives the city broader tools to investigate and enforce violations.

Landlords will be required to retain records documenting compliance for three years. The city will be able to investigate alleged violations involving an individual tenant as well as potential buildingwide or companywide practices. Investigators may seek records and testimony, and the legislation creates a process for obtaining subpoenas through the city’s hearing examiner.

A landlord found to have charged prohibited fees can be required to reimburse tenants for those charges plus interest and pay an additional amount equal to twice the prohibited fees.

The ordinance also establishes civil penalties of $750 for a first violation and $1,500 for subsequent violations within a five-year period. Prohibited retaliation against tenants can carry a $5,000 penalty.

Tenants will also retain the ability to bring private civil actions in certain circumstances. The legislation allows one or more tenants to seek relief on behalf of similarly situated tenants when their claims stem from the same or substantially similar landlord policy or practice.

“This is a significant step forward in making Seattle a more affordable place to live and work, and giving renters the clarity and confidence they deserve,” City Attorney Erika Evans said. “Good landlords who play by the rules will benefit, too, as we hold bad actors accountable by making the housing market fairer and more transparent for everyone.”

The ordinance provides landlords with opportunities to correct some violations. In certain circumstances, a landlord who receives notice of prohibited fees can avoid some civil liability by correcting the violation within 30 days, reimbursing affected tenants with interest and paying additional compensation required under the law.

The legislation’s supporters argue that those enforcement mechanisms are necessary to make the pricing requirements meaningful and to prevent landlords that disclose their costs upfront from being placed at a disadvantage.

The council’s unanimous vote among participating members means Seattle renters will eventually see those changes, but not immediately. The ordinance’s provisions take effect July 1, 2027, giving landlords and city agencies time to prepare for the new disclosure, recordkeeping and enforcement requirements.