City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 10
Chapter 10.57
Section 10.57.130
 

Title 10 Regulation of Activities

Division II. License Code

Chapter 10.57 Regulation of Residential Rental Housing

Section 10.57.130 Anti-Retaliation Protections
  1. Purpose and Intent.

Due to fears of retaliation, tenants may fear speaking up about housing habitability issues, practices relating to collection of past due rent, or organizing as tenants. State law provides protection against retaliation, and the City of Spokane intends for its code to provide additional protections.

  1. Prohibition on retaliation.
    1. No landlord or owner or manager of residential rental real property in Spokane may intimidate any person because that person is engaging in activities designed to make other persons aware of, or encouraging such other persons to exercise rights granted or protected by the fair housing laws, or engaging in political speech or political organizing.
    1. No person may threaten any employee or agent with dismissal or an adverse employment action, or take such adverse employment action, for any effort to assist any person in the exercise of their fair housing rights.
    1. Landlords are prohibited from retaliating against individuals for invoking their rights or protections under subsections 10.57.115, 10.57.116, 10.57.160, and 10.57.170.
    1. For purposes of this section, “fair housing laws” and “fair housing rights” include the federal Fair Housing Act, and the Washington Law Against Discrimination.

Date Passed: Monday, June 10, 2024

Effective Date: Sunday, July 14, 2024

ORD C36523 Section 1