A 10% Rent Hike Cut in Half: Tacoma Tenant Legal Aid’s First Win!
Just one week after launching Tacoma Tenant Legal Aid, we helped a tenant cut her rent hike in half! She and dozens of her neighbors received an illegal notice for a 10% rent increase. In violation of the Landlord Fairness Code, the notice didn’t inform tenants of their right to relocation assistance.
After her intake with Tacoma Tenant Legal Aid, this tenant had the confidence to demand relocation assistance. Within 24 hours, the landlord backed down and lowered the rent hike to under 5% to avoid paying over $4,300 in relocation fees. A simple email saved her over $1,000 in annual rent! She may also recover damages for other violations of her rights.
Can you pitch-in to help more tenants win similar victories?
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Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire
If this mega-landlord thought they could sneak an illegal rent hike notice past one apartment complex, we won’t be surprised to find this is standard practice across their other properties. On Monday, our Outreach Committee made plans to canvass these properties to inform tenants of their rights and uncover other violations.
The math for landlords is simple: Paying relocation assistance costs thousands, while keeping rent hikes under 5% costs far less. That’s why many landlords are breaking the notification law to keep tenants in the dark about their rights. If Tacoma’s 100,000 renters knew they had the right to relocation assistance –– and that Tacoma Tenant Legal Aid was there to back them up –– landlords would think twice before raising rents over 5%.
That’s Where You Come In
Too few tenants know their rights, and even fewer have the legal resources to hold landlords accountable. This leaves renters across Tacoma vulnerable to exploitation.
With your support, we’re going to change that.
We’re organizing outreach to tenants across Tacoma to inform them of their rights and connect them with our legal aid program. But we can’t do it without you:
Help us reach our goal of raising $6,000 by the end of December! Donate today to grow this program and keep it strong.
Prefer monthly giving? Become a member and sustain the fight for housing justice year-round.
Sign up to volunteer – whether you love door-knocking, design, data-entry, or drafting laws, this movement needs your skills, energy, and creativity!
In just one week, we’ve seen the power of Tacoma Tenant Legal Aid to deliver real wins. With your support, we can help thousands more tenants secure lower rent hikes and hold landlords accountable.