Request for Rent Change

You can change the terms of the lease and contract after the first 12-month lease ends. This includes changes to both rent and utilities. You must send KCHA and your tenant notice of a rent increase at least 60 days before the proposed effective date of the increase. It is your responsibility, not the tenant’s, to notify us of the proposed rent increase.

If the unit is in Auburn, Burien, Issaquah, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, SeaTac, Shoreline, or unincorporated King County the following notice periods apply:

• Auburn: If the rent is increased by more than 5%, there must be notice of at least 120 days before the increase takes effect.
• Burien, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, SeaTac: If the rent is increased by more than 3%, there must be notice of at least 120 days before the increase takes effect. If the rent is increased by more than 10%, there must be notice of at least 180 days before the increase takes effect.
• Issaquah: If the rent is increased by more than 3%, there must be notice of at least 120 days before the increase takes effect.
• Shoreline: If the rent is increased by more than 3%, there must be notice of at least 120 days before the increase takes effect. If the rent is increased by 10% or more, there must be notice of at least 180 days before the increase takes effect.
• Unincorporated King County: If the rent is increased by more than 3%, there must be notice of at least 120 days before the increase takes effect. If you do not know if the unit is in unincorporated King County, you can check on King County’s website.

To submit a rent increase request, please use our online rent request form. For questions regarding the rent increase process, contact us at rentrequest@kcha.org.

The rent must stay comparable to similar units in the area. After the first year, the tenant’s share of the rent may also rise above 40 percent of their monthly income. However, the tenant — not KCHA — must pay all rent that exceeds their 40 percent share. This can impact their ability to afford the unit. If you choose not to renew the lease, you must provide a 30-day notice to the tenant and KCHA.

In making the rent-reasonable decision, KCHA takes into account HUD-prescribed variables: location, size, type, quality, age of unit and amenities, plus any housing services, maintenance, and utilities provided by the owner. Information from our physical inspection of the unit is also used, along with current market data from by AffordableHousing.com, Apartment Insights and other resources. This data can include comparables provided by the landlord for unassisted unit rents within the same complex. If you can document that the current rental rate for a subsidized tenant’s unit is below market, KCHA may be able to approve an increase. The following conditions must be met:

• The tenant is on a month-to month tenancy or the initial 12-month lease will end before the proposed effective date of the change.
  
• The proposed rent amount is not more than you charge for non-subsidized tenants and is rent-reasonable. Federal rules require that owners with more than 4 units provide the rents for 3 units recently rented or renewed.

If these conditions have been met, send your tenant a notice including their name, address, unit number, proposed effective date, and proposed rent amount. Also include the reason for the change in the rent. Be sure your contact information is also on the notice. Include the tenant's voucher number if possible.