RCW 59.18.255 prohibits King County landlords from refusing to rent based on a tenant's lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers, Social Security, veterans benefits, child support, and unemployment compensation.
Washington's source-of-income protection took effect statewide in 2018, predating most cities' parallel ordinances. Landlords may not advertise no-Section-8, refuse voucher holders, or impose income-multiple tests that effectively exclude voucher recipients (the multiplier may apply only to the tenant's portion of rent, not the full rent). King County also runs a Landlord Risk Mitigation Fund offering up to $5,000 per unit to cover damages exceeding the deposit, intended to reduce landlord resistance to voucher tenants. Seattle's First-in-Time ordinance adds a separate requirement that landlords accept the first qualified applicant rather than picking among them.
Refusing voucher holders, advertising no-Section-8, or applying full-rent income multipliers can result in Washington Human Rights Commission complaints, civil damages, and attorney fees, with Seattle imposing additional fines up to $11,000 per violation.
Kirkland, WA
Leaf blowers and power equipment are restricted to 8 AM to 8 PM weekdays and 9 AM to 6 PM on weekends and holidays under KMC 11.84A. Kirkland has not adopted...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland sits about 20 miles north of Sea-Tac and is lightly affected by commercial flights. Kenmore Air seaplanes and Renton Municipal general aviation caus...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland does not impose a citywide overnight parking ban, but enforces the 72-hour rule, signed residential permit zones, and no-parking signs at parks, tra...
Kirkland, WA
Kirkland driveways must remain paved, accessible, and used for vehicle parking per KMC Title 115 zoning code, which limits front-yard paving and requires app...
Kirkland, WA
EV charging in Kirkland follows the Washington State Energy Code, which requires EV-ready capacity in new multifamily and commercial parking and protects pub...
Kirkland, WA
Under KZC 115.40, Kirkland fences may be up to 6 feet except within 15 feet of a street curb. Properties on a neighborhood access or collector street are cap...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in King County.
See how Kirkland's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
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