Showing ordinances that apply to Fall City, WA
Fall City is an unincorporated community (population 2,032) in King County, Washington. Because Fall City is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, King County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The rent control rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Washington state law (RCW 35.21.830) preempts local rent control in King County and all Washington jurisdictions. Neither King County nor any city within it may cap rent increases. Landlords must follow state notice requirements for rent increases under RCW 59.18.140 (minimum 60 days notice typically, 180 days in some cases).
King County and all cities within Washington are preempted by state law from enacting rent control. RCW 35.21.830 expressly prohibits cities, towns, counties, and municipal corporations from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance or charter provision that regulates the amount of rent to be charged for residential rental properties. This statewide preemption has been in place since 1981 and has survived multiple legal challenges and legislative repeal attempts. In practice, this means a landlord in unincorporated King County or any city within the county may raise rent by any amount, subject only to (1) the terms of the lease (a fixed-term lease generally locks in rent for the term), and (2) state notice requirements. Under RCW 59.18.140, for month-to-month tenancies, a landlord must give at least 60 days written notice before a rent increase takes effect. For certain assisted-housing situations, 180 days notice may be required. Seattle and other Washington cities have adopted renter protections that go to the edge of what state law allows: just-cause eviction, notice of rent increases beyond state minimums, relocation assistance when increases exceed a threshold, and mandatory information packets. King County itself has enacted some related tenant protections but not rent caps. Washington state lawmakers have introduced rent stabilization legislation in recent sessions; residents interested in rent control should track state-level bills rather than local ones.
No rent caps to violate. A landlord who raises rent without proper notice (less than 60 days written notice for month-to-month) violates RCW 59.18.140; the tenant can challenge the increase and the landlord may owe damages under RCW 59.18.290.
See how Fall City's rent control rules stack up against other locations.
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