Lisa Gardner, Spokane City Council Communications Director
Monday, April 13, 2026 at 3:28 p.m.
At the Spokane City Council’s Planning, Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainability (PIES) Committee meeting, Spokane City Council Members introduced a “Renters’ Right to Cooling” ordinance that would require landlords to maintain bedrooms at a safe temperature below 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The ordinance is sponsored by Council Members Sarah Dixit, Paul Dillon, and Kitty Klitzke and was drafted in partnership with the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment and law students from the Gonzaga Environmental and Climate Law Clinic.
Heat-related deaths have been increasing, and average temperatures in Spokane have risen over the years. Projections indicate that temperatures will continue to rise. Extreme heat is the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S., making habitability a critical concern for the City of Spokane.
“In the midst of the climate crisis, a tenant’s access to cooling has been neglected for too long,” said Council Member Sarah Dixit. “Just as a right to heating is necessary for a safe dwelling in the winter, a right to cooling means our community members will be safe in their homes in extreme heat. These are the proactive steps our city must take to ensure that Spokane is a climate-resilient community. I am proud to co-sponsor this ordinance for the renters in District 1, who deserve access to a safe and properly cooled home.”
“We know the June 2021 Northwest Heat Dome resulted in 19 heat-related deaths and over 300 people seeking medical treatment for heat-related illness in Spokane County. Despite extreme heat, landlords are not currently required to provide cooling,” said Council Member Paul Dillon. “This ordinance would save lives. I am proud to co-sponsor and grateful for the students at Gonzaga University for helping move this forward.”
In June 2024, the Spokane City Council passed an ordinance relating to portable cooling devices. This ordinance updates that portion of the code and expands it to include a landlord’s duty to provide cooling for existing units by 2031, as well as exemptions for new units built after 2027, since cooling for new construction will align with state law. There is a legal path to seek judicial relief if there’s a violation of the ordinance. Last week, the City of Spokane’s Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board unanimously approved a recommendation for the ordinance to be adopted by the Spokane City Council.
Council Member Kitty Klitzke added, “The purpose of this ordinance is to address health disparities stemming from the increasing number of dangerously hot days caused by climate change. It does not compel energy-conscious tenants to use cooling devices. But it ensures they can cool to 80 degrees if needed.”
“In our climate-changed world, access to cooling isn’t a convenience; it can be the difference between life and death,” said Dr. Brian G. Henning, Director of the Gonzaga Institute for Climate, Water and the Environment “Spokane is once again in a position to lead our state and our region in protecting our most vulnerable neighbors from extreme heat.”
“For renters without air conditioning, summer presents a very real health crisis. This ordinance would protect citizen renters in Spokane from the physical, financial, and emotional toll of being trapped in a home that heat has made unlivable,” said Hannah Hunter, a student at Gonzaga University School of Law. “It would ensure that every tenant in this city can expect basic habitability year-round, not just in the winter months.”
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