Re: “We’re landlords and we agree with rent stabilization” (March 21, Opinion):
The op-ed from landlords declaring opposition to Home Invoice 1217 as coming from “hire gouging” small-scale landlords is unfair. We’re a retired public well being nurse and a retired nonprofit supervisor, now on mounted incomes. We have been capable of purchase the homes on both facet of our residence in White Heart 25 years in the past.
Our tenants have been in these houses for over 20 years, and our rents proceed to be 20%-25% beneath market. We subsidize these houses to maintain them secure and clear, and our tenants have grow to be good buddies. Each Wednesday, all of us sit round a campfire with our neighbors and rejoice.
For legislators to inform us that as small-scale landlords, we should restrict hire will increase to 7%, when property taxes alone went up 14% this yr, is an insult. Considered one of us has early-onset Alzheimer’s illness, and we could possibly be going through wanted in-home care. Taking away our skill to lift rents to market price as our well being declines is cruelty. We’re the great guys right here, even when this laws is treating us like price-gouging criminals. Excluding “mother and pop” landlords like us from this laws is the correct factor to do.
Mark L. Ufkes and Lois A. Schipper, Seattle
