Seattle's Fair Housing Ordinance SMC 14.08 prohibits landlords from refusing to rent to applicants because of their lawful source of income, including Section 8 vouchers, VASH, SSI, child support, alimony, and any other government or non-employment income.
Seattle was one of the first U.S. cities to ban source-of-income discrimination in 1989, and Washington state law (RCW 59.18.255) extended the protection statewide in 2018. Landlords must accept any verifiable lawful income, cannot apply income-multiplier tests that exclude voucher value, and must subtract the subsidy from the rent before applying any income-to-rent ratio. The First-in-Time rule (SMC 14.08.050) further requires landlords to accept the first qualified applicant, blocking pretextual rejections. Seattle Office for Civil Rights investigates complaints and tester audits.
Refusing vouchers, advertising no Section 8, or applying inflated income tests can trigger SOCR investigation, civil penalties up to $11,000 per first violation, damages, attorney fees, and required fair housing training and policy revisions.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Seattle, WA
Seattle's Land Use Code allows residential lawn ornaments, statuary, and yard art without permits provided structures do not exceed accessory-structure heigh...
Seattle, WA
Seattle does not regulate residential inflatable holiday decorations by size or type. Standard Noise Ordinance (SMC 25.08) limits apply to blower-motor noise...
Seattle, WA
Seattle has no ordinance restricting when residents may put up or take down holiday lights. The general Noise Ordinance SMC 25.08 applies to any amplified ou...
Seattle, WA
Built-in outdoor kitchens in Seattle require building permits from SDCI when they include new electrical, plumbing, gas piping, or a structural roof under Se...
Seattle, WA
Backyard wood and pellet smokers in Seattle are allowed at single-family homes but are subject to Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (PSCAA) Regulation I, Section ...
Seattle, WA
Seattle Fire Code Section 308.1.4 prohibits open-flame cooking devices and LP-gas containers larger than 1 lb on combustible balconies of multi-family buildi...
See how Seattle's source-of-income discrimination rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.