The city of Vancouver, Wash., has approved a program that will enforce rental registration fees for landlords, according to reports.
The new municipal code will require landlords to pay a registration fee of $30 per unit by Feb. 15 of each calendar year, in addition to applying for or renewing a business license.
Councilmember Bart Hansen, one of three city leaders who voted against the program, said he believes tenants will be forced to pay the $30 registration fee in the form of a rent increase.
The registration will ask landlords for information such as the year their property was built, the number of units it holds and what type of rental it is — from multifamily housing to accessory dwelling units.
Vancouver is part of the Portland metro area, and the city has watched as Portland has put in place regulations for landlords such as registration, tenant protections and rental increases.
Housing Programs Manager Samantha Whitley said the city won’t enforce fees for the first 90 days of the program in an effort to encourage property owners and managers to comply.
Benjamin Moody, managing attorney for the Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program’s Housing Programs, said the new rental registration policies could benefit low-income tenants.
“Our clients are vulnerable and, like so many renters, they don’t have resources,” Moody added. “They don’t know their rights and, even if they do know them, they also understand the reality that they are vulnerable to the retaliation and mismanagement of landlords.”
Law could present unintended consequences
The Washington Multi-family Housing Association argued it could prompt “unintended consequences” for residents and those who manage their properties.
“Combined with recent state legislative changes and an already complex regulatory landscape, the program would add significant costs and staffing burdens — factors that are often overlooked as these programs are rolled out,” WMFHA’s William Schneider told council members. “This structure penalizes the very developers and operators who are working to build and maintain the 38,000 multifamily housing units the city of Vancouver desperately needs.”
The city plans to open registration at the beginning of 2026.
