Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Parking

Landlords in Seattle Can’t Force Renters to Pay for Parking Anymore

Photo: Joe Mabel

The Seattle City Council has approved a substantial package of parking reforms that aims to make housing more affordable and reduce dependence on driving.

Among the highlights is a new rule that would unravel one of the biggest subsidies to driving: "bundling" the price of car parking with rent. Landlords of buildings with more than 10 apartments will now have to charge for parking separately and cannot bundle it with rent.

By giving renters no option but to pay for parking with their apartment, bundling obscures the true price of parking. And parking costs a lot. A 2015 study by King County concluded that parking adds, on average, about 12.5 percent to rents [PDF], fueling the city's housing affordability problems.

Meanwhile, there's good evidence that much of the parking in Seattle goes unused. Almost a third of Seattle renters do not own a car, according to the city, and one study found about one-third of the parking spaces at multi-family buildings are not occupied.

With the new rule, renters who don't own cars won't be forced to pay for parking spaces they don't use. (Landlords will be able to rent unused parking spaces to people who live outside the building.)

Minimum parking requirements were also cut in half for below-market housing construction: from one space for every three units, to one space for every six.

In addition, the new rules expand the areas of Seattle where no parking is required. Prior to the changes, areas within a certain radius of a transit stop served every 30 minutes for 18 hours a day were exempt from parking rules. Now the looser rules apply to areas near transit stops with 30-minute frequencies 13 hours a day. That means more housing can be built at lower cost.

The Seattle Times reports that parking construction shows signs of declining thanks to the city's previous parking reforms. In 2004, the average new apartment had 1.5 parking spaces. Last year, the number was down to just 0.6 spaces per apartment.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Tuesday’s Headlines Go to the Polls

Transit is on the ballot today in Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix, Atlanta, Nashville and elsewhere.

November 5, 2024

A Last Look at the Role of Sustainable Transportation in the Race to the White House

Let's take a look back at how the candidates have governed and talked about car culture so far.

November 5, 2024

DECISION ’24: Next President Needs a Vision for America’s Transportation Future

No matter who wins the White House, advocates are ready to push for the transportation system we all deserve — starting with these nine principles.

November 4, 2024

Monday’s Headlines Raise Taxes to Cut Emissions

The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy took to Bloomberg to share ideas for cutting transportation emissions through the tax code.

November 4, 2024

America Walks Urges Support for Stronger Vehicle Safety Standards

NHTSA has proposed safety standards to redesign vehicles with dangerous front ends. But it doesn't do nearly enough to keep pedestrians safe, says America Walks.

November 1, 2024
See all posts