Council Bill 120325, sponsored by Mayor Bruce Harrell, was vetoed today. The law, which was narrowly passed on a 5-4 vote and might cost between $2 and $5 million with no known financing source, would have required landlords to disclose confidential information about their rental units to a research institute.
The bill is opposed by Mayor Harrell, the Council President, and the Chair of the Council Budget Committee.
“We all share the same goal of ensuring Seattle is an affordable city where workers and community members of all backgrounds can live and succeed,” said Mayor Harrell.
“Critical to that effort is using quality and accurate data to inform our policies. While I appreciate and respect the sponsor’s intent, this proposed legislation would not have collected reliable data according to experts at the University of Washington and likely could not have been implemented in time to influence our Comprehensive Plan update.
I look forward to working with Council – in addition to renters and small landlords – to address the needs we have for better data and more affordable housing options.”