Spokane and Tacoma Press New Housing Provider Regulations [9/22/26]
September 22, 2026
Aaron Kirk Douglas

Spokane and Tacoma Press New Housing Provider Regulations [9/22/26]

Spokane Approves Eviction Protections After Wildfires

The Spokane City Council voted 5-2 this month to approve emergency eviction protections for tenants displaced by the Spokane Complex Fires. As a result, qualifying renters receive a 12-month grace period on missed rent with no late fees1. The protections took effect immediately and apply automatically to any future city-declared emergency. Meanwhile, a statewide landlord group says the ordinance shifts the financial burden of disaster recovery onto property owners. Owners still owe taxes, insurance, and utility payments even when rent goes uncollected2.

Why it matters: Owners and managers with Spokane-area units should build the automatic grace period into eviction and collections procedures now. Additionally, because the ordinance applies to future emergencies, it could become a model other Washington cities adopt.

Tacoma Ballot Measure Draws Landlord Industry Pushback

A measure headed to Tacoma’s Nov. 3 ballot would let a single tenant complaint trigger a city investigation with subpoena power over a landlord’s full property portfolio. Damages could reach up to five times monthly rent3. Industry advocates point to a 2023 tenant protections initiative that passed by a narrow margin. That measure produced just one enforcement action. Further, the city has estimated the new program could cost up to $10 million on top of an existing budget deficit.

Why it matters: Owners of smaller Tacoma properties should watch this closely ahead of November. In addition, a broad enforcement standard could push small, local landlords to sell, worth watching as a signal for other Washington cities weighing similar measures.

National and Federal Stories

Multifamily Construction Keeps Slowing Nationally

Starts on buildings with five or more units fell 15.5% year over year in August, landing at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 344,000 units. Meanwhile, completions dropped 35.7%4. An analyst with Continental Properties said further declines are possible in the months ahead. This is due to underwriting challenges tied to moderated rent growth and interest rates near 5%.

Why it matters: A shrinking national construction pipeline points toward tighter future supply. This should support rent growth and occupancy for existing Pacific Northwest owners over the medium term. It is an early signal of a supply-driven recovery beginning to take shape for 2027 and beyond.

Vacation Homes Remain a Small Share of Oregon and Washington Housing

A new analysis of Census Bureau data found vacation homes made up 3.3% of the U.S. housing stock in 2024, down from a 2018 peak of 4.0%5. Oregon ranked 28th among states, with vacation homes accounting for 3.0% of its housing stock. Washington ranked 33rd at 2.5%, both below the national average.

Why it matters: Neither state carries an outsized share of housing tied up in vacation use compared with resort-heavy states like Maine and Vermont. For regional investors, it is a reminder that the housing shortage traces mainly to underbuilding and demand growth, not competition from second homes.

Sources

  1. Spokane Public Radio, “Spokane City Council approves eviction moratorium following wildfires,” Sept. 10, 2026.
  2. KREM, “Spokane landlords say new ordinance to protect wildfire-impacted renters leaves them high and dry,” Sept. 18, 2026.
  3. MyNorthwest/KIRO Newsradio, “‘That’s not protection, that’s displacement’: RHAWA director warns Tacoma’s tenant measure will gut mom-and-pop landlords,” Sept. 16, 2026.
  4. Multifamily Dive, “Multifamily starts plummeted nearly 16% in August,” Sept. 17, 2026.
  5. SellMyTimeshareNow, “U.S. Cities and States With the Most Vacation Homes,” Sept. 2026. (original report link not publicly confirmed; widely syndicated via regional news outlets)

#MultifamilyMarketwatch(R)  #WashingtonMultifamily  #SpokaneWA  #ApartmentInvesting  #HousingPolicy

About HFO

HFO Investment Real Estate is the largest multifamily-only brokerage in the Pacific Northwest. The company has 12 brokers focused exclusively on apartment investment sales in Oregon and Washington. Call (503) 241-5541.

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