Contribute to this campaign: Join the Tenants Union!

The Tenants Union is on the move, organizing tenants in Washington State for housing justice. We're winning important victories, but we're limited by our financial resources. Help build the movement to protect and expand tenants rights and make the promise of safe, healthy, affordable housing a reality:

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Take Action to Limit Late Fees

Please take a couple minutes to contact your elected officials and tell them to support Senate Bill (SB) 6227. This bill would limit the amount of rental late fees landlords can charge, which is urgently needed. However, the limit it would set—$50 or 10% of the rent, whichever is greater—is too high. The bill would also make it illegal for a landlord to evict a tenant for not paying a late fee.

Please take action to fix this important bill and to get your elected officials to support it.

Call the toll-free State Legislative Hotline at: 1-800-562-6000 and ask to leave a message for both of your Representatives and your Senator:

“Please support SB 6227 to regulate the amount of late fees landlords can charge tenants, but please ask Senator Franklin to lower the cap from $50.00 to a more affordable fee.”

If Senator Franklin (29th district), Senator Fairley (32nd district) or Senator Kline (37th district) represent you, please also thank them for their sponsorship.

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Currently, State law does nothing to limit late fees, and many tenants find themselves paying excessive amounts of money to their landlord. Some tenants have even been evicted over late fees. This legislation as proposed will do the following:

  1. Prevent a landlord from charging a late fee within the first five days after rent is due.
  2. Limit the amount of late fee to 10% of the total rent or $50.00, whichever is greater.
  3. Prevent a landlord from charging interest, penalties, or any other fees associated with the failure to pay rent, that is not otherwise authorized by this legislation.
  4. Prevent a landlord from evicting a tenant for not paying a late payment fee.

The Tenants Union feels that the proposed cap is too high and that a lower amount is reasonable and fair. Because this bill addresses an important issue, we hope that elected officials will take action to improve it and then get it passed.

You can get more information on this and other legislation on the web at http://www1.leg.wa.gov/legislature.

Posted: 01/26/06