Soap Lake Landlords Debate Rental Property Business License Ordinance

February 15, 2012

Landlords haven’t given up yet in their attempt to do away with the new Soap Lake, WA business license requirements of owners of rental properties. Rental owners will have their units subject to an inspection by a city inspector before qualifying for a city business license.

Kevin Burgess, the owner of an Ephrata real estate agency, expressed his dissatisfaction at the ordinance and the cost it would incur at the city council meeting last week.

"I'm just wondering if the city of Soap Lake took into consideration the cost (the ordinance) is going to involve for property owners, a cost that's going to get passed on to tenants," he said.

Council members argued at the importance of having city inspectors examine rental properties to ensure their safety before tenants are allowed to live in the units. These inspections would cost the city money, funds that would be acquired through increased charges to landlords for business license fees.

The Columbia Basin Herald quotes City Attorney Katherine Kenison having said, "One of the things Soap Lake is known for is cheap housing," she told council members. "Unfortunately, the citizens who are attracted to that market tend to be in your most vulnerable groups - a lot of elderly, a lot of single parents a lot of non-English-speaking people - and we have found in a lot of our communities that those more vulnerable groups tend to be taken advantage of at times by housing that is not meeting the requirements."

Council members agreed to hold off any further discussion on the issue until next council meeting.

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