LEGISLATURE 2025-26 / RON MUZZALL: Amended rent cap bill faces uncertain fate in Washington House [VIDEO]

Carleen Johnson reports from the Washington State Legislature for The Center Square. Read the whole story.

(The Center Square) – Republicans in both chambers of the Washington State Legislature aren’t holding their collective breath that an amendment adopted in a rent cap bill that cleared the Senate late Thursday will be included in a final version after it goes back to the House of Representatives.

Engrossed House Bill 1217 passed the Senate after being amended to increase the annual rent hike limit from 7% to 10% plus the consumer price index, meaning it has to go back to the House for concurrence.

CPI is tied to inflation. While inflation is a general increase in prices, CPI is a specific index that tracks the average change in prices of certain consumer goods and services. 

They Said It

On Friday morning, Sen. Ron Muzzall, R-Oak Harbor, told The Center Square that “the House is going to hate it,” referring to the amended-by-the-Senate bill.

“It’s 10% plus CPI, so do we love it?” he asked. “No, we don’t love it but it’s better than 7% because it will follow the economy because CPI follows the economy.”

Muzzall said another amendment excluding single-family rentals is also a big win.

“Single-family rentals are what a tremendous amount of the rentals are. Maybe it was your grandparents’ house, and you’ve been renting it out, but now you can’t make money at it, so you’re going to sell it, and it’s not going to be a rental anymore,” he explained.

Muzzall hedged on whether the House would approve the amended bill.

“Are we going to be able to hold it?” he asked. “I don’t know.”