The Big Picture
On August 18, 2026, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed into law Council Bill 121254, which imposes total monthly price and individual fee disclosures and puts severe limitations on common rental housing fees. The new law applies to any rental agreement signed after July 1, 2027, and will have significant impacts on housing advertising, leasing and property management.
The legislation is part of a growing trend at all levels of government to require greater rent transparency and more heavily scrutinize fees and charges applied to renters. Fees play an important role in helping housing providers cover the costs of utilities, amenities, optional services and other operational expenses while giving residents flexibility and choice.
Deeper Dive
The ordinance’s passage means that Seattle will have one of the strictest total price disclosure requirements in the country. In any advertisement for a unit and on the first page of the rental agreement, housing providers must conspicuously disclose total monthly rent, applicable utility charges and all mandatory and optional fees.
For utility charges and other variable amounts that cannot be determined in advance, housing providers must provide either a historical average or good-faith estimate, depending on the information available. Such disclosure must include a total monthly cost to be paid by the resident, which can only include discounts if they run the full term of the lease.
Housing providers may not charge any fees except for those enumerated in the ordinance. Examples include late, screening, utility and move-in fees, as well as security and pet damage deposits.
Local Advocacy
The Washington Multifamily Housing Association (WMFHA) worked on the ground to ensure that the final ordinance included critical improvements on the liability and implementation of the law, including a right to cure and opportunities for voluntary compliance.
“While we didn’t get everything we wanted, our members’ engagement and our commitment to consistently showing up at the table made a meaningful difference in the final ordinance,” said Jake Mayson, Director of Government Affairs for WMFHA. “Members sent more than 100 messages, testified, shared their real-world experiences and helped us stay engaged with policymakers throughout the process.”
The ability to have on-the-ground advocacy for important bills like these is crucial to the advocacy efforts of the industry as a whole, and the National Apartment Association (NAA) thanks WMFHA for their past and continuing efforts.
NAA’s Outlook
As of the date of publication, NAA has tracked thirty-two bills that legislation fee disclosure across seventeen states. Five of those bills have passed. At the local level, five fee disclosure ordinances were proposed, three of which have become law.
NAA supports clear and transparent disclosure of housing costs and will continue advocating for policies that reflect the complexities of rental housing transactions and avoid unintended consequences for residents and housing providers
Any housing provider doing business in Seattle should consult with their attorney to understand impacts to their operations.
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