After months of debate, the Spokane City Council has passed a bevy of controversial rental reforms to provide greater protections for tenants and increase enforcement of substandard housing.
In large part, the reform’s advocates sought to make it easier to look for a new rental, to ensure rentals are habitable and meet various requirements, and to support tenants if a landlord violates their rights.
The ordinance, brought forward in November and delayed multiple times for more debate and compromise, underwent a number of changes before Monday’s vote.
At the last minute, the reform package was split into two, with one ordinance that had unanimous support and another opposed by the Council’s conservative members.
