As Spokane’s cooling ordinance returns, a July 15 vote could change how Washington landlords operate if the ordinance becomes a template for other cities in Washington and Oregon.
By Aaron Kirk Douglas
Washington’s most immediate policy story this week is in Spokane, and it is moving fast.
The Spokane City Council revived its right-to-cooling ordinance after June amendments narrowed the original proposal. The original version would have required landlords to cool tenant bedrooms to 80 degrees or below by 2031.
The amended version now defines adequate cooling as sufficient to avoid health risks to tenants, with landlords required to provide it within 24 hours of a written notice from a renter. If a landlord fails to act, tenants gain the right to install a cooling device at landlord expense, or to deduct up to $500 from rent for self-installed cooling. A vote is scheduled for July 15.
The debate is familiar in its structure. Supporters point to the 20 people who reportedly died from heat exposure during the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat dome and argue that cooling is a basic habitability requirement. Opponents argue that the cost of retrofitting older buildings, particularly those without adequate electrical infrastructure, will raise rents and push affordable units off the market. Both arguments contain real truth.
What makes this vote worth watching beyond Spokane is its potential as a policy template. Washington has already enacted SB 6200, which prohibits landlords from preventing tenants from installing portable air conditioning units.
The Spokane proposal goes further by requiring landlords to act within a defined timeframe or face tenant remedies. If it passes, it is likely to surface in other Washington cities, particularly as summer temperatures become a recurring policy focal point. Owners of older apartment buildings in Spokane and elsewhere in Washington should begin assessing electrical panel capacity and cooling infrastructure before any ordinance takes effect.
About the author:
Aaron Kirk Douglas is director of market intelligence for HFO Investment Real Estate In Portland.
