Seattle just passed a law banning most rental "junk fees"

Summary

Seattle City Council passed CB 121254 on 8/11/2026 (recorded as "Passed at Full Council" — mayoral signature/ordinance number still pending as of this writing). It targets rental junk fees, which a 2023 National Consumer Law Center study found 89% of renters nationally pay on top of rent. Effective date: July 1, 2027 (applies to leases signed/renewed on or after that date — not retroactive to current leases).

Full text: Legistar CB 121254

Use OpenLease and search for your property to see if it applies to your rental

Impact At A Glance

  • Landlords must show the full all-in price before you sign anything
  • A bunch of common fees are now flat-out banned
  • "Optional" fees require real opt-in/opt-out
  • You can sue for 2x the fee + damages + attorney fees
  • City can investigate landlords building-wide, not just one complaint at a time

🚫 Fees now banned (can't be charged at all)

  • Using in-unit appliances or building amenities (gym, rooftop, etc.)
  • Just accessing common areas
  • Paying by check / money order / ACH
  • Mail or package handling
  • Landlord doing something they're already legally required to do
  • Adding/removing a tenant from the lease
  • Any "pet fee" beyond an actual damage deposit
  • Certain landlord-provided insurance add-ons (unless specific disclosures are met)

A few exceptions apply: appliance-fee ban excludes portable AC/cooling unit rentals; common-area fee ban excludes temporary exclusive use (e.g. renting a clubhouse for an event); the tenant add/remove-fee ban excludes normal screening fees.

📋 New disclosure requirements

  • Full price breakdown required in the listing/ad and before page 1 of the lease
  • Max 2-page disclosure form, refreshed annually
  • Must show: rent, discounts, utilities you owe, all fees, and one bottom-line total

✅ "Optional" fees only count if:

  • You affirmatively opt in in writing
  • You can opt out anytime, no penalty
  • Bundled add-ons (e.g. "tech fee" = cable + internet) must also be sold separately

⚖️ Enforcement / what you can do about a violation

  • Private lawsuit: actual damages + interest, double the illegal fee, an added penalty (double the citation amount, so another $1,500–$3,000), plus attorney's fees
  • Landlords get a 30-day out on first offense: if they're notified of a violation, fix it within 30 days, and fully repay + double-pay every affected tenant in the building, they have a legal defense against your suit for that fee — unless they get caught doing the same thing again within 24 months, in which case no defense
  • Illegal lease clauses alone (even without charging you) can mean up to $4,000 in liability to the landlord
  • City penalties: $750 (1st violation) → $1,500 (repeat) → $5,000 (retaliation)
  • City can investigate an entire building or company at once
  • If you're facing eviction for unpaid rent, illegal fees you were charged get subtracted from the rent claimed against you

What to actually do

Now: Save your current lease + any fee receipts as a paper trail. After 7/1/2027: Demand the 2-page disclosure form before signing. Any fee not on the permitted list = red flag. Report violations to Seattle's rental agency — building-wide complaints hit harder. If overcharged, you can sue directly; note the landlord has a 30-day window to self-correct and avoid your suit on a first offense, so a written notice is often the first real step, not straight to court. (The law's attorney-fee-shifting provision may make contingency representation more available, but that's not something the bill itself guarantees.)

Caveat: City of Seattle law only — doesn't apply outside city limits.