Title
Approval of an Ordinance Amending Olympia Municipal Code Related to Required Notice for Relocation Assistance
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve an Ordinance Amending OMC 5.82 related to required notice for Relocation Assistance.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve an Ordinance Amending OMC 5.82 related to required notice for Relocation Assistance.
Staff Contact:
Christa Lenssen, Senior Housing Program Specialist, Office of Community Vitality, 360.570.3762
Presenter(s):
Christa Lenssen, Senior Housing Program Specialist, Office of Community Vitality
Background and Analysis:
The background and analysis did not change from first to second reading.
The Olympia City Council adopted an ordinance on April 16, 2024, that addresses tenant relocation assistance. Between first and second reading of the ordinance, City Council directed staff to amend the ordinance language to require landlords to offer tenant relocation assistance if a landlord increases rent by 7% or more over a 12-month period, instead of requiring relocation assistance when a landlord provides notice of a rent increase over 5%. An existing provision requires landlords to provide 120 days' notice before increasing rent by more than 5%. A landlord could increase rent incrementally with only 60 days' notice if the increase is 5% or less, as required by current state landlord-tenant law.
Under the new economic displacement relocation assistance provisions, the tenant has 45 days to request relocation assistance after receiving the rent increase notice and the landlord has 30 days to pay. The tenant would then have an opportunity to seek new housing and if the tenant does not move out by the effective date of the rent increase, would be required to pay the new rental amount and repay the tenant relocation assistance provided by the landlord.
Due to the changes requested by Council between first and second readin...
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