Spokane City Council takes ‘right to cooling’ back up

Spokane’s “right to cooling” law, first introduced in April, is again under consideration by the City Council. A vote is expected July 15.

Originally, the law would have required landlords to cool tenant bedrooms by 2031, but after amendments earlier in June, the law would come into effect as early as mid-July . The law originally proposed that some form of cooling be provided such that bedrooms would be kept below 80 degrees; the current version now defines adequate cooling as “sufficient to avoid risks to tenant health …”

Landlords would be required to provide adequate cooling within 72 hours of a written notice from tenants. If they failed to do so, tenants would have the right to seek several forms of remedy, including unilaterally installing a cooling device at the landlord’s expense up to a maximum one-time $500 deduction from rent.

Opponents argue that the additional costs for providing cooling, particularly in older buildings without adequate electrical infrastructure, will significantly raise rents and take affordable housing units off the market. Supporters argue that a lack of cooling can be life-threatening, pointing to the 20 people who reportedly died as a direct of heat exposure during the 2021 heat dome.