SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane City Council will consider changes to its rental housing cooling requirements tonight, with a proposed amendment that would expand air conditioning mandates across rental units in the city. The measure is meant to improve housing livability, but some rental property owners have concerns.
According to a document that councilman Paul Dillon shared with 4 News Now last week, the amendment would require landlords to install air conditioning in at least one room of their rental units immediately, with a requirement to equip every bedroom with cooling by 2032. The changes aim to address tenant safety concerns following the deadly 2021 heat dome that killed more than a dozen people in the region.
Supporters of the ordinance argue that air conditioning is essential to keeping rental homes livable and safe for residents. However, property owners have raised significant concerns about the feasibility and cost of compliance…